The Hero of Lightning
by Davin Sunrider
Summary: After saving Princess Zelda and her younger brother from an assassination attempt, a young man named Link becomes the Hero. Now, he must master a weapon of incredible power to defeat the terrible sorcerer who hunts them. Complete.
1. Turning Point

**The Hero of Lightning**

**One**

"You're too scrawny, kid. Come back when you grow up a little!" Link said mockingly, muttering to himself as he made his way through the crowds packing the streets of Castle Town. He'd make that recruiter eat his words today, more than a year after he'd said them.

A year ago, Link would have had to agree with the recruiter for the Hyrule Army who'd turned him away. Although tall, he'd been almost painfully skinny from not getting enough to eat. Link was an orphan, and he'd grown up on the streets of Castle Town, doing odd jobs to support himself, though he was proud to say he never turned to thievery like some of the other street urchins he knew.

Now, after a year of watching the soldiers train and begging lessons from any traveling swordsmen who were willing to teach him, coupled with a string of good luck that led to him getting a good job at a tavern on the southern side of the city, Link had grown strong and broad-shouldered. The owner of the tavern where he worked, a man named Ernst, agreed that the army would be foolish not to take him now, and so had told Link that if he was accepted, he could enter the military. If not, his job at the tavern would be waiting for him.

Link shivered inside his cloak. The thunderstorm yesterday had really cooled things off, and with the last snow of winter only two weeks behind, temperatures were still almost uncomfortably cold sometimes. He was used to it, though; he'd had to sleep outside more often than not growing up.

He spotted a great crowd of people up ahead and frowned as he realized they were blocking his way. Being tall enough to see over the heads of most of those in the crowd, Link craned his neck to see what the holdup was.

A few strains of music reached his ears, and with a sudden rustle of movement, the people around him forced Link back to the side of the street, murmuring to each other in hushed voices. Faintly, the young man heard marching footsteps and the sound of horses' hooves clattering over the cobblestones of the street off in the distance.

Finally, Link glimpsed the reason for the crowd; the Royal Family was heading out in a procession, the King sitting tall atop his enormous white stallion dressed in a fancy version of the uniform most Hyrule Soldiers wore. The Queen and their two children rode behind. Prince Gareth smiled to the crowd, waving to those who waved to him, and his older sister, the Crown Princess Zelda, smiled also, looking out over the crowd with a pleasant expression.

Link smiled. Princess Zelda was indeed just as beautiful as she was rumored to be. He'd never seen her before today, but her portrait hung above the bar in the tavern where he worked. Old Ernst the bartender said it brought good luck, and it probably did, since the tavern was packed most nights. Now that he could see her in person, Link thought the portrait didn't do her justice.

She and her brother took mostly after their mother, with golden hair and delicate features, but both took their grey eyes from their father, who appeared to be just as strong as he was rumored. It was said that the King was more than willing to lead his own troops into battle if the current tension with Holodrum lead to war, and looking at him, Link believed it.

Link pushed his way forward through the crowd until he stood near the leading edge, hoping to get a better look at Zelda. Ernst would probably die of jealousy when he told him about this!

As the Royal Family drew closer, surrounded by soldiers and bodyguards, Link heard a strange whining, sounding almost like a build-up of power. Just as he started to look around for the source, a lance of fiery orange energy screamed down out of the sky and hit the King, engulfing him instantly.

All around Link, people screamed and dove for cover, rushing about in instant panic. Barely three seconds after the first, another lance of energy stabbed out and hit the Queen, grazing Prince Gareth's arm. He screamed and fell from the saddle as the bodyguards around the Royal Family looked frantically around for the source of the blasts.

Link was already sprinting forward when he heard a third blast charging. A strange feeling came over Link, as if time slowed down around him. His body began moving without him thinking about it first, and just as another lance of orange energy sped out for Princess Zelda, Link leaped up and tackled her out of her saddle, feeling the heat of the blast wash over his back as he and the princess toppled to the ground beside her horse.

Still moving on instinct, Link reached up and unclasped his cloak with one hand, grabbing hold of Princess Zelda's arm with the other. He tossed the cloak over Prince Gareth, who lay groaning on the ground, and pulled the boy to his feet, shoving both royals ahead of him down an alley. People dashed about, screaming in panic and confusion, and the three of them were quickly absorbed into the crowd.

Link glanced behind to see a tall man swathed in a dark-colored robe and cloak leap impossibly far down from his perch atop a nearby building to the ground and look around, his hooded head moving back and forth as he searched the crowd. He drew a sword from underneath his voluminous cloak and lashed out to stab a Hyrule Soldier, shoving his victim out of the way as he made his way over to the Royal Family's horses, who reared up in terror as he passed.

A chill washed over Link as he realized that this was the assassin, the sorcerer who had killed the King and Queen and tried to kill his charges. He knew what he had to do, and turned back to the prince and princess, urging them further down the alley with the crowd. Behind, he heard the clash of steel and the unmistakable sound of more magic blasts as the sorcerer engaged the bodyguards.

Both royals were silent, obviously in shock, and they did not resist as Link pulled them along, headed for the nearest safe place he could think of; Ernst's tavern.

"Come on, come on!" he urged as Zelda faltered, turning to look behind.

Link guided the royals through the alleys and side-streets he knew so well he could navigate them blind, not stopping for a moment until they reached the modest brick building that housed the tavern he called home. Opening the door, he urged the royals up the stairs next to the entrance, constantly glancing behind with one ear listening for the approach of the assassin.

When they reached the door that led to Link's small room, he opened the door and ushered the prince and princess inside, closing it behind him. Once the room fell into silence, Link finally had time to process what he had just done.

What in the world was he going to do now? He'd dragged the heir to the throne and her brother off to his tiny, shabby room above a tavern on the poorer side of town, and no doubt had confused their bodyguards into a state of frenzy. What had he been thinking?

Princess Zelda looked up at him, her arm around her brother, and he was struck by the pain and confusion on her face. It had all happened so fast, and he wondered if she knew what had happened to her parents. Link could hardly believe she was here in his room anyway, but this was not the time for trying to wrap his head around what he'd done. This was time for action.

"Uh, wait here, Your Highness," Link said. "I'll go get your bodyguards. You should be safe here."

She nodded mutely, pulling her sobbing brother closer. Link backed out of his room and closed the door behind him, his mind swirling with a dozen different plans and thoughts. His first priority should be to get their guards here to protect them. They would know what to do; they probably had plans for just this situation.

Link charged down the wooden stairs, taking them two at a time. He heard Ernst calling to him, but he kept going and ran out the door, sprinting back to where the Royal Family had been attacked. His long legs carried him there in seconds, and he burst out into the street, looking around for the soldiers that had been accompanying the royals. He saw none of them, or the assassin, either.

Link hissed a curse under his breath. The sorcerer was still in the city, and he would keep hunting Zelda and Gareth until he had found them. His intent was obviously to wipe out the Royal Family, and there was no way Link was going to let that happen.

But what could he do? He was apparently the royals' only protector right now, so he had to keep them safe until someone else took control of the situation.

Both the King and Queen were dead. Who was going to take charge? Should he take them to the castle?

No, Link thought. That would be the first place the assassin would look for his intended victims. He had to get Zelda and Gareth out of the city, and fast. His mind still whirling with plans, Link turned and ran back to the tavern, dodging the people still dashing about in panic.

Ernst met him at the door, his bushy gray hair and beard sticking out as the broad-shouldered older man caught Link by the shoulder. "What's going on, lad?" he said, his eyes tinged with concern. "Have you heard about the attack?"

Link nodded quickly, gesturing up the stairs. "We have to get out of the city, Ernst," he said. "I have the prince and princess up in my room, and we have to get them somewhere safe before the assassin tracks us here."

He turned to go, but the beefy bartender grabbed his shoulder again. "You what?" Ernst said in surprise. "Say that again, lad."

Link tugged free of his friend's grip. "I said I have Princess Zelda and Prince Gareth up in my room. I brought them here after the attack because the assassin was fighting their bodyguards. I didn't know what else to do."

Ernst's bushy gray brows rose in disbelief. "That was damned brave, lad. Damned brave. Damned foolish, too."

Link gestured impatiently up the stairs, hardly daring to believe what he had done himself. "We have to get them out of here. Where can we take them?"

Ernst shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea, Link. Go check on the prince and princess, and I'll get some supplies together."

Link nodded and dashed up the stairs, half dreading that the assassin had come for his intended victims and would be waiting in the room when he arrived. Luckily, this was not the case, and Link found only the two royals in his room when he opened the door.

Princess Zelda looked up as he entered, a questioning look in her grey eyes. "Are they coming?" she asked.

Link sighed, shaking his head. "No, I couldn't find any of your bodyguards, Your Highness. I haven't seen the assassin, either, so we need to leave before he comes looking for you."

Zelda's eyes widened in surprise, and she pointed to Link. "Your hand…" she said, her tone hushed.

Link looked down and was also surprised as he saw a golden glow coming from his left hand. As he brought it up to take a better look at it, he saw a triangular marking made up of three smaller triangles. The bottom right triangle was glowing the brightest, though the entire marking gave off a bright golden light.

"You…" Zelda paused. "You must be the Chosen Hero. What you did back there… You have been chosen by the Goddesses to bear the Triforce of Courage."

Link knew about the Heroes, having heard legends of the brave warriors who rose to defend Hyrule from evil all his life. Was he really the Hero now? It did explain the strange feelings he had been having since the attack.

He pushed his questions aside. All this could wait.

"Well," he said, looking around his room, "I have to get you two out of here. The assassin is still looking for you, and he could be here anytime. Castle Town isn't safe."

"What are you going to do?" Zelda asked, her arm still around the sobbing Gareth, who still clutched his arm, now bandaged with a strip of cloth Zelda had torn from her gown.

Link opened the chest next to his bed that contained everything he owned, pulling out some of his clothes. "Here, change into these while I go get some supplies. We need to disguise you so that the assassin doesn't spot you on our way out of the city." He handed the princess one of his shirts, smiling sheepishly. "They're a little big for you, but it's all I have."

Zelda took it, nodding gratefully. "This will be fine. Thank you."

Link nodded quickly, moving to the door. He turned to look over his shoulder at the royals. "I'll be back in just a second."

Princess Zelda nodded once, and Link closed the door behind him, descending the stairs two at a time into the main room of the tavern. Ernst was waiting for him, a full pack in one hand and a sheathed sword in the other.

The burly bartender paused as he caught sight of the marking on Link's hand. "That's…" he said in surprise, gesturing to the younger man with the hilt of the sword he held in one hand. He regarded Link with a measure of respect and awe on his face. "You've been chosen by the gods, lad! They must have done it because you rescued the prince and princess!"

Link again pushed the questions he wanted to ask aside, looking around the bar. He snatched two cloaks off of pegs hanging on the wall, tossing them over his arm. He turned to Ernst, meeting the older man's gaze. "I need to get them out of here, Ernst," he said. "I was thinking maybe we should go south to the farming villages in Faron."

Ernst shook his head. "No, lad. You need to take them east to Death Mountain. The Gorons are good friends of Hyrule, and there's nowhere they'll be safer than under the protection of the mountain folk. If you're the Chosen Hero, you'll need to find out who's trying to kill them and stop him. The Gorons can keep good watch over them while you do."

He handed Link the pack, and as the young man shouldered it, Ernst extended the sword he held in his other hand. "Take it, lad," he said. "You'll need it to protect them."

Link accepted the sword, looking up at his friend. "Thank you," he said. "For everything."

Ernst smiled broadly under his bushy beard. "Of course, lad. Now get going. You have a sacred duty now, so go carry it out."

Link smiled back before turning to dash up the stairs to his room again. He opened the door slowly, entering the room once he saw that both Zelda and her brother had changed into his spare clothes. The princess had unbraided her hair, and now both mostly appeared to be peasants, albeit in extremely good health.

He handed the two cloaks he had taken to Zelda, setting the pack down as he buckled the belt attached to the sword Ernst had given him around his waist.

"I'm taking you to Kakariko," Link said. "You should be safe there while I find out what's going on." He met Zelda's eyes. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you or your brother."

"Thank you," said Zelda, helping Gareth put on the cloak Link had brought. "When do we leave?"

Link tossed a few more of his belongings into the pack Ernst had given him. "Now. Come on."

--

* * *

--

The Sorcerer slowly stalked through the halls of Hyrule Castle, killing anyone he saw. He had succeeded in eliminating the King and Queen, but the Crown Princess and her brother had escaped him. In all the confusion, he had not seen where they had gone, and his first thought was that they had fled to the castle, their supposed stronghold. So far he had only encountered servants and soldiers, all of which fell before his blade and his power.

Hearing a slight movement, little more than a rustle of a tapestry as someone shifted behind it, the Sorcerer crossed the wide, white hall to where he could see a slight bulge behind a wide woven scene depicting some doubtless exaggerated Hylian victory.

The Sorcerer pulled back his sword and stabbed through the tapestry, smiling slightly at the brief pained grunt before the bulge dropped to the floor, staining the lower edge of the battle scene red.

His mission was to eliminate the entire Hylian Royal Family, and he had so far succeeded but for Zelda and Gareth. Both of the King's brothers lay dead in their rooms, draped over the bodies of the wives and children they had attempted to protect.

Screaming in rage, a soldier jumped out from behind a decorative suit of armor, swinging wildly with a sword. The Sorcerer matched him blow for blow, finishing the brief duel with a single concentrated blast of energy through the man's heart. The soldier dropped soundlessly to the floor, clutching his chest.

The Sorcerer moved on, seeking his prey.

--

* * *

--

Zelda studied their rescuer, walking beside him with the hood of her cloak raised and her arm around her still-sobbing brother, who hadn't said a word since…

She fiercely pushed the thought aside. It was not the time to let herself grieve. Plenty of time for that when they were safe. Every moment until then was fraught with danger, and the two of them had to trust in their savior to make sure they survived the day.

Link walked beside her with one hand on the strap of his pack and the other on the hilt of the sword at his side. He was tall, certainly over six feet, if not six-and-a-half, and longish blond hair curled down over his collar, uncombed but at least clean. He looked over at her, and Zelda was struck again at the intense blue of his eyes. He smiled in a reassuring way, and she attempted to smile back, though she didn't really feel like it.

It was strange; she hadn't known him an hour, and yet Zelda felt as if she could trust this man. Perhaps it was the connection between their two pieces of the Triforce. Courage and Wisdom seemed to inevitably work together, so perhaps there was a bond between those two pieces of the sacred relic.

Cautiously, Zelda extended her perceptions through the Triforce of Wisdom as the three of them made their way toward the east gate of the city, moving slowly along with the crowd. It appeared many other people had had the same idea, and now dozens of people bearing packs and pulling small carts were headed out of the city, a cloud of panic still hanging over the crowd.

Next to her, she felt Gareth's almost overwhelming sorrow and pain, and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. On her other side, Link was… blank. No, not blank but… unreadable. Zelda realized with a measure of surprise that, whether he was doing it deliberately or not, she could read nothing from the Hero. She could tell he was there, but his thoughts and emotions were sealed off even more securely than the Sage who had taught her to use the Triforce of Wisdom, and she was at once intrigued and suspicious. Who was this man, and why couldn't she read his emotions?

Ahead, a large man in a stained and battered shirt that had once been blue stood on a box and waved his arms to get the crowd's attention. Link paused, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword, and Zelda stopped beside him, still trying to comfort her brother.

"Are you all going to Kakariko?" the man in the blue shirt said. Various heads around them nodded, and the man waved them closer. "We should travel as a group. There are monsters on the roads, and we'll be safer in numbers. You, swordsman," he said, pointing at Link.

The new Hero tensed ever so slightly. "Yes?" he said, stepping just in front of Zelda.

"Will you help us defend the women and children on the road?" the man in the battered blue shirt asked him.

Link nodded once, and the man smiled gratefully. "Thank you. We're going now, so if anyone has anything they still need, go back and get it right now. We'll be at the east gate, and we leave in ten minutes."

A few people broke away, but most followed the man in the blue shirt to the east gate. To Zelda's disgust, the guards were nowhere to be found, and only a few traveling adventurers bore weapons among the dozens of people crowded around the east gate of the city.

The large man in the battered blue shirt made his way over to Link and extended a hand, his expression grim. "Thank you for coming with us, swordsman," he said. "My name's Tyrell."

"Link," the new Hero said, shaking the proffered hand. "I just want to get my sister and brother out of the city. I don't really know what's happening, but I know it's not safe for them here."

Zelda reached up and pulled some of her long hair over her face underneath her hood, attempting to obscure her famous features. She knew Link's reasoning; the assassin could have allies, and it would be best if the refugees did not know who she and her brother really were to avoid attracting attention. Again, she admired their protector's quick thinking.

Tyrell nodded. "I hear you, Link." He sighed deeply. "I…I just can't believe what happened. Who would have thought…" He broke off, looking up at the taller Hero helplessly.

"What matters is that we get these people to safety," Link said. "We can figure out who did this later."

Tyrell squared his shoulders, nodding determinedly. "You're right, Link. We'll move as quickly as we can, and assuming we aren't attacked, we can be to Kakariko before nightfall."

Zelda turned to see more people arriving, hearing Link say, "We'll make it."

_I hope so_, the princess thought to herself.

--

* * *

--

The Sorcerer growled in frustration, sending a lance of fire out to consume a painting meant to portray the Hylians' Goddesses crafting the world. He knew better, and the image insulted him.

He had been through every inch of the castle, and was now the only thing moving though its halls besides the wind through the open -or in some cases, smashed- windows. He had found no sign of Zelda or Gareth, and was beginning to become angry.

The wind plucked at his cloak as he stood in front of a broken window, looking out over the city. Where had his prey fled? He had not thought them to possess sufficient wits to hide so soon after his attack on their parents, but they were not here in their home.

He knew their bodyguards hadn't spirited them away to some secret hideaway; he'd killed them all. The only two members of the procession who had escaped him were the Crown Princess and her younger brother.

The Sorcerer gathered his power and leaped out of the window, levitating over the city. His prey would not escape him forever. If need be, he would hunt them to the ends of the world to guarantee their end.

--

* * *

--

Zelda slowly sank into a chair at the long wooden table, exhausted. They were finally in Kakariko Village, and not a moment too soon, either. Link's spare pair of boots, given to her to replace her own soft, brightly colored shoes, were much too big for her and chafed her feet.

The generous people of Kakariko had welcomed the refugees from the capital with open arms, horrified at the news they bore. Link had maneuvered her and Gareth into staying with the mayor, who just happened to have a secret room in his basement that was virtually invisible when closed. Link had discovered this during a surreptitious examination of the mayor's house and had quietly told her where it was and how to get into it.

The mayor's wife and daughters tended to Gareth's wound, and Zelda closed her eyes in sadness when they removed her makeshift bandage. As she had thought, the wound was severe, and her brother would never be able to fully use that arm again. Not even the best healer could have restored it.

Link joined Zelda and the mayor's family for dinner. One of the mayor's daughters remained with Gareth, who quickly went to sleep in the bed they provided him.

The mayor, a kindly older man with thick, curly brown hair, politely engaged the Hero in conversation, during which Link described what had happened in as much detail as he knew, changing the details slightly so that he did not reveal the identity of his charges. Instead, he told their hosts that the prince and princess had survived, but had been rushed away by a bodyguard. He maintained the cover that Zelda and Gareth were his younger siblings, but she could tell the mayor's wife, a dark-skinned woman with bright red hair, had her doubts. For one, she had frowned at Link's explanation of Gareth's wound, that the three of them had been out to watch the procession and he had been grazed by a stray blast, and she also kept trying to get a better look at Zelda's face, which she kept hidden behind her hair.

Still, aside from her suspicion that Link was lying, -which he was- the mayor's wife was a friendly woman, and she'd been very welcoming to them and the rest of the refugees.

The meal and the rest of the day passed in a haze for Zelda, and when she was finally offered a bed, she sank into it gratefully and quickly fell asleep.

--

* * *

--

Link stood at the door of the room where both royals slept, watching them for a few moments. This small town, nestled in a canyon under the smoldering cone of Death Mountain, was fairly out-of-the-way, but it was still open and exposed.

Several scenarios ran through Link's mind in which he had to defend this house against an attack by the assassin he'd seen in Castle Town, and he dismissed it as a stronghold. There were just too many ways for an intruder to get in to defend it adequately by himself.

No, he'd have to take them somewhere else. Glancing up through the window, Link looked at the smoke-shrouded peak of Death Mountain and thought of the Gorons. He'd seen a few of the enormous mountain people occasionally in Castle Town on business, and he thought that an entire community of the prodigiously strong rock-men would be excellent bodyguards for the prince and princess while he set off to find out who the assassin was who had attacked them.

Link silently slipped out of the house and wrapped himself in his cloak against the cold of the night. He set off down the thoroughfare of the canyon village, following it to a place where the path split. One fork led off to the wide field between Kakariko and Castle Town, and the other headed off down a branch of the canyon that stretched back to Death Mountain.

In the darkness, Link could barely see the path in front of him, and thus was surprised when what he had thought was a boulder sitting at the side of the path moved and turned to face him.

"Hello there!" it rumbled in a deep voice, taking a step closer.

Link could see little of the being other than that it was at least seven feet tall and powerfully built, generally round in shape. He recognized the outline and knew it was a Goron.

"Hello," he said to the Goron. "Can you take me to your elders? I need to speak with them."

It chuckled jovially. "Sure, Brother. Follow me!"

Link followed the massive shape of the rock-man down a twisting path that steadily climbed up toward the volcano. He could see almost nothing in the darkness, and had to follow his Goron guide more through the sound of his heavy footfalls than by watching him.

After several minutes of climbing their way through the convoluted path, the Goron stopped and Link nearly ran into him from behind.

By the light of the moon, only a slender crescent above, Link looked down into a wide clearing lined on all sides by steep rock walls. He could see several more large moving shadows down below, as well as vague movement on a series of metal platforms above that ran up the side of the mountain. Several torches were mounted around the clearing, and he could see the yellow skin and broad faces of several Gorons standing guard scattered around the village.

His Goron guide jumped down into the clearing in a single long leap, but Link was forced to scramble down a series of stone ledges that resembled steps made for giants, which, considering the average size of the Gorons, was probably not far from the truth.

Link followed his guide to a hole cut into the side of the clearing, down a short tunnel and then up a sharply sloping ramp that led to a metal platform set into the ground.

The Goron waved Link forward, and when he had joined the massive rock-man on the platform, the Goron stepped on a raised section, pressing down with one huge foot. Jerkily, they began to ascend, and Link looked over at his companion in surprise.

The rock-man chuckled, his deep voice booming out in a jovial rumble. "We'll be there in half the time, Brother," he said, gesturing up the shaft with one huge hand. "It beats walking!" the Goron chuckled.

Link nodded, pushing back his cloak as the temperature rose the further up the shaft they ascended. Soon the shaft gave way to a wide, torch-lit room, a round, elevated platform occupying the center.

The walls were mostly bare stone, but Link saw a few Dodongo skins and other decorations scattered about the large chamber. By far, the most interesting feature of the chamber was the nine-foot-tall Goron that stood near the elevated round platform.

Immediately upon Link's entrance into the room, surprising the young warrior, the enormous Goron stomped over to Link and pointed to his left hand, which bore the mark of the Triforce.

"We have been expecting you, Brother," the largest Goron rumbled. "Our elders foresaw your coming. We know whom you protect."

Link stepped closer to the massive rock-man. "Then I ask that you protect them while I seek those who hunt the princess and her brother."

The Patriarch -for that was who the enormous Goron had to be- reached out and slapped Link on the shoulder, very nearly knocking him to the ground.

"We will do this, Brother," he said. "Go fulfill your sacred duty, Hero."

Link reached up and slapped his hand against the Patriarch's elbow, as high as he could reach. "Thank you."

Turning, he strode purposefully toward the elevator, one hand on the hilt of his sword as he stepped on the button in the center of the metal platform.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, pressing down with all the force he could muster against the button, but it still did not budge. With a measure of embarrassment, Link realized that his weight was not sufficient to activate the elevator.

Just like that, the reality of the situation hit Link like one of the Gorons had sat on his chest. What in the world was he going to do? He didn't know anything about being the Hero; he'd been acting almost purely on instinct for most of the day, and now that he had a chance to stop and think, he realized that he didn't have the faintest idea about where he could start.

Now that Zelda and Gareth's safety was assured, what was the next step? Should he stay here with the prince and princess and protect them, or should he go back to Castle Town and look for clues about the assassination?

A massive hand crashed down on his shoulder, and for an instant, Link thought he was being attacked. Only when he heard another distinctive Goron chuckle did he remove his hand from the hilt of the sword at his side.

The Goron who had guided him up to the council chamber reached out a huge foot and stomped on the button. The elevator jerked and began to descend, carrying the two of them back down to the bottom of the mountain.

"You're pretty strong for a human," the Goron said. "I always knock the mayor of Kakariko down when I do that. His curses are hilarious!"

Link raised a wry eyebrow. "Thanks," he told his guide. "What's your name?"

"Dar," the Goron said, extending a huge hand.

Link reached out to shake Dar's hand, dreading the crushing his hand was no doubt about to receive. Instead, despite the Goron's extremely firm grip, his knuckles were only ground together with moderate force.

Dar laughed and slapped Link on the back, nearly toppling the young warrior. "I like you, little Brother," the Goron said. "If you were a little taller, you could pass for a really skinny Goron!" He laughed uproariously at his own joke.

Link gave Dar a strange look, which only made the rock-man laugh harder.

_Goron humor_, Link thought amusedly.

As the elevator descended, the new Hero steeled himself for what would undoubtedly be a difficult quest. He had seen firsthand the kind of power the assassin was capable of unleashing, and he knew that right now, he could not stand against that kind of power.

Link decided that the first thing he would do would be to change that.

--

* * *

--

Author's Note: Other than being set three hundred years before 'Twilight Princess'(two hundred years before 'Ocarina of Time') this is not based on any existing Zelda games. Those of you familiar with my other stories, 'The Fourth Piece' and 'Hero's Origin,' are probably familiar with the general outline of this story, since its events are mentioned in both stories. If you're a first-time reader, I'd suggest not reading 'Hero's Origin' chapter 4 until this is finished, since it features a summary of the events of this story and thus would spoil the end. Chapter 2 will be up soon.


	2. The Search

Two

Link stood at the side of the street in Castle Town where the assassination had taken place, his hands on his hips as he looked at the burns in the stone. He wasn't sure what he was trying to find here, but something kept tugging him to this place.

He had come here after spending two days making sure his charges got settled into the care of the Gorons, who had sworn to defend Princess Zelda and Prince Gareth with their lives. Zelda had spent those two days telling him everything she knew about the Triforce and the enemies he was likely to encounter, filling his head with a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge.

Also during those two days, Link had grown noticeably stronger, his reflexes quickening almost exponentially. During sparring matches with a few of the swordsmen who had come along to protect the refugees, Link had gone unnaturally quickly from novice to on par with many of them, able to defeat several of those who had soundly beaten him on the first day in his next match with them. Zelda attributed this growth to the Triforce of Courage and assured him it was a perfectly natural step in becoming the Hero.

Link still didn't like it, though he had to admit it was exhilarating as his body moved almost without him thinking about it during the matches, as if it already knew what to do and just didn't want to wait for him to tell it.

"We are all mourning their loss," said someone behind him.

Link turned to see an older Hylian man in a brown robe and a dark gray cloak standing behind him. He estimated the man's age at about sixty, since his long hair and beard, mostly black, were shot through with streaks of gray and white and he had lines around his eyes, a few more on his face disappearing into his thick beard. A sword hung from his belt, and his dark green eyes were vibrant, curious, and intelligent.

"The country is in turmoil," the man continued, his voice rich and deep. "The Prime Minister is attempting to get things organized, but the assassination has thrown Hyrule into chaos. Who would do such a thing?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Link replied.

The man raised his eyebrows in interest. "Are you?" he said, taking a step closer to the Hero. "Why? Are you one of the royal bodyguards?"

"In a manner of speaking," Link said, meeting the shorter man's probing gaze. For some reason, he thought he could trust the old man.

The old man studied him curiously for a moment before suddenly breaking into a knowing smile. "I see," he said, gesturing subtly to Link's left hand, which was covered by a fingerless glove. "Come with me. If you are who I think you are, I have things to tell you that are for your ears alone."

Link rested his hand on the hilt of his sword underneath his cloak, picking up his speed to follow the old man as he led the way down an alley, which happened to be the same one Link had rushed Zelda and her brother through during the attack.

When they were out of sight and away from any passersby, the old man suddenly stopped and turned to face Link, holding out one hand to the young warrior.

"Show me your marking," he said, his tone serious.

Link removed his left glove, holding his hand up so that the old man could see the black triangular marking there, as dark as a brand or a tattoo.

"Yes, it is as I thought," the old man said, smiling again. "You have the mark of those chosen by the gods." He reached out a friendly hand to clap Link on the shoulder. "I am Majacen, young Hero. I believe I can help you with your quest."

"How?" Link asked.

Majacen waved for the Hero to follow him. "Come with me. I have something to give you. We'll have some tea and talk about what you are to do next."

"Tea?" Link asked the old man, surprised.

Majacen smiled amusedly, gesturing back the way they had come. "You're not going to find anything more back there. You might as well be relaxed while I explain a few things to you, for it will likely be the last chance you get for quite some time." The older man gestured down the alley. "Come on, my trunk is back in my room at the inn."

Shrugging, Link followed the old man through the alley and down a few side streets until they came to an inn on the south side of town, well-kept but obviously not meant for luxury. It reminded him of Ernst's tavern, though he had to admit it was in slightly better shape.

Majacen led the way up the stairs next to the entrance and opened the third door, down the hall, gesturing inside welcomingly. The old man's room was comfortably furnished with a large bed and a table, two padded chairs arranged on either side of it. A large, weathered trunk sat at the foot of the bed, so battered that it was impossible to discern the original color.

The older man waved his hand at one of the chairs. "Make yourself comfortable, young Hero, while I find what I have for you."

Link sat down in one of the chairs, adjusting his sword as he found a comfortable position.

"Help yourself to the tea," Majacen said, opening the trunk and rummaging through its contents.

"What tea?" Link said, even as he saw the teapot and two mugs next to him on the table. He peered at the tea set suspiciously; he was certain the table had been empty when he had entered the room.

Surprisingly, though there was no fireplace in the room, the tea was hot, and smelled of lemon as the Hero poured himself a mug. He took a cautious sip, smiling slightly at the pleasant taste.

As he watched Majacen dig through the contents of his trunk, Link smirked to himself at the sudden turns his life had taken in the last few days. Three days ago, he'd been just another citizen of Castle Town, moving about a fairly ordinary life. Now he was running from sorcerers and protecting royalty and having tea with strange old men who knew more about him than he did about them.

The new Hero thought somewhat sourly that the only real way to cope was to not think about what was happening too much. He just needed to push on to the next part of his quest and find the assassin who had killed the King and Queen.

"Aha!" Majacen said suddenly, pulling out a cloth-wrapped package and holding it up. "Here we are."

He handed the package to Link. "That is for you, Hero," the old man said, settling into the other chair. "It belonged to one of your predecessors."

Link set his mug back on the table as he untied the cloth, pulling it aside to reveal a shirt of chain-mail, the links small and shiny. It was finely made, of even better craftsmanship than what the Hyrule Soldiers wore. He would never have been able to buy something like this on his own.

Under it was a green tunic designed to be worn over the chain-mail, sleeveless and fastened with loop and button ties. Link understood this immediately; green was the color of the Heroes, and this was essentially a uniform to signify his new position.

He looked up at Majacen. "Where did you get this?" he asked.

The old man gestured to the tunic and chain-mail. "A previous Hero left it with me when he finished his duties and left Hyrule. It will fit you, though since you are much taller than its original owner, it may be a little tight in the chest."

Link wrapped the Hero's clothes back up and set them on the table next to his mug of tea. "Thank you," he said. "So, why did the Hero leave his clothes with you?"

Majacen took a sip of tea before answering. "I am a wizard, and my task is to aid those who bear the Triforce, among other things. Ordinarily, a Hero like yourself would be left to engage in his quest on his own, but this crisis demands swift action. The Sorcerer hunts your charges, young warrior, and you are no match for his power in your current state."

"The Sorcerer?" Link asked curiously.

The wizard nodded gravely. "Your foe, the one you bear the Triforce of Courage to defeat. I do not know his name, but his anger and his power both burn brightly, and I have been following him for several days." Majacen sighed heavily. "I was unable to intervene when he assassinated the Royal Family, but I have been tracking him since he committed that atrocity, and I have reason to believe he has left Hyrule to search the Gerudo Desert."

Majacen took another sip of his tea, meeting Link's eyes as he set his mug back down. "As you know, Hyrule has been at peace with the Gerudo since the Treaty of Sogolon, fifty years ago. Your predecessor was the one who met with Sogolon to help establish the treaty, actually." The wizard gestured to the hilt of Link's sword, which poked out of his cloak at his side. "The desert warriors are among the most skilled wielders of the blade in the world. I believe the Sorcerer thinks you have hidden your charges there with them, and so he has gone there to search for his two remaining victims."

The old wizard leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully. He was silent for several moments, deep in thought, but finally he turned to look at Link again. "You must go to the desert," he said. "Do not try to engage the Sorcerer, but instead learn what you can of the sword from the Gerudo. Since you bear the Triforce of Courage, you will learn quickly, and this will be the first step of your journey."

"What about the Sorcerer?" Link asked.

Majacen shook his head dismissively. "Your charges are safe with the Gorons, young warrior. The Sorcerer is interested only in destroying them, but he will never penetrate the mountain people's defenses unless he has a good reason to think they are there." The wizard smiled. "Thanks to your quick thinking, no one suspects that the prince and princess are in the Eldin lands. Most either assume that they were killed along with their parents or that they are hidden inside the castle for the duration of the crisis."

The wizard stood and went over to his trunk again, opening it. "I almost forgot. I have something else of the last Hero's to give you." He produced a shield like those used by the Hylian knights and handed it to Link. "The Gerudo will recognize this, and will let you pass to their secret fortress deep in the desert."

Link accepted the shield, looking it over. It was lighter than it appeared, made of steel and painted blue on the outer side. A large Triforce symbol was set into the upper portion of the shield, and below it spread the Hylian phoenix, only it was painted in green instead of the traditional red.

At Link's questioning look, Majacen chuckled. "The last Hero was somewhat… untraditional. He painted it himself so that it was more recognizable, since he fought alongside the other Hylian knights occasionally."

The wizard stepped over and clapped Link on the shoulder. "The road to the desert is a long one, young Hero. If you give the keeper of the stables on the east road this," he handed Link a small token, "and mention my name, he will give you a horse that was raised in the desert and thus will bear you swiftly and surely to where the Gerudo wait."

Link pocketed the token and slipped the shield and cloth-wrapped package into the magic pocket Zelda had made for him. He shook the wizard's hand. "Thank you, Majacen," he said.

Majacen nodded once. "I shall remain here in Hyrule and attempt to gather information on the Sorcerer. I will contact you if I find anything."

Link thanked the wizard again and bid him farewell, leaving the inn in search of the stables where the horse Majacen told him about awaited.

--

* * *

--

Zelda sat quietly by herself on a metal platform high up on Death Mountain's cone, a lookout platform that faced Hyrule. Wrapped in her cloak, the princess stared at the tall white castle in the distance that had always been her home. A deep pang of sorrow stabbed at her heart within her, and for the first time since her parents had been taken away from her, she allowed it through and buried her face in her hands with a sob.

She had sworn to herself not to let her pain show in front of her brother, and to stay strong for Gareth to help him through his own grief, but she could wait no longer and so had sought out a lonely spot to let her feelings out.

The image of her father disappearing under the lance of fiery orange energy the assassin had hurled at him was forever burned into Zelda's memory, as was the scream of her mother, abruptly cut off as the assassin turned his magic on her next. Secure in knowing no one else was around, she pulled her knees up to her chest and let the tears flow freely.

It could have been minutes or hours later that she heard footsteps on the metal walkway leading up to the platform and hurriedly composed herself, wiping her face on her cloak as she turned to see who approached.

"Zelda?" asked her brother's voice.

Zelda leaned out to look for her brother, and saw Gareth standing a short distance down the walkway, wrapped in his own cloak with his arm in a sling, the white strap crossing his chest under the heavy fabric wrapped around him. His expression was mournful, and he looked like he had been crying himself.

As soon as he saw his sister, Gareth stumbled forward and sat down next to her, wrapping his good arm around her as Zelda put her arm around his shoulders, draping her cloak over both of them. He broke into sobs, and she stroked his hair, trying to comfort him.

"I miss them," he sobbed. "I miss them so much."

Zelda felt another tear trickle down her cheek. "I do, too," she whispered, pulling her brother closer.

They sat quietly, mourning their parents for a while longer before Gareth looked up at her, his eyes red as he attempted to compose himself.

"Why did this have to happen?" he demanded, sniffling.

Zelda was taken aback at the question and was unsure of how to answer. She felt her sadness slowly harden into anger as she thought back to that terrible day.

"A horrible man took our parents away," she answered finally. "I don't know why, but since Mother and Father were very important people, I'm sure it had something to do with Father's policies as King. He was a great man, but there were those who did not like the changes he was making."

Gareth laid his head back down on her shoulder. "I'm glad Link was there," he said. "The assassin would have killed you, too, if he hadn't." He squeezed his sister with his good arm.

Zelda nodded. "We must be very grateful to the Hero," she said, looking up at the castle again. "He is searching for the man who killed Mother and Father so he can defeat him."

"Good," Gareth said angrily. "I hope he kills him."

Zelda was surprised at her normally gentle brother's statement, but could not bring herself to say anything, because she thought the same thing.

Instead, she pulled her brother a little closer, and the two of them sat in silence, gazing out at Hyrule from the safety of their protectors' mountain.

--

* * *

--

Link sat in the saddle of his new horse and stared at the cliff ahead of him. The horse under him snorted, and Link fought the urge to imitate the sound in frustration.

He reached down to pat the animal's shoulder. "You sure you're from this place?" he asked, looking at the nearly impassable path ahead of them that led into the desert.

Khamsin the horse snorted again. The man who'd given the horse to him had told Link the name meant 'sandstorm' in the language of one of the desert tribes, specifically the wind that drove the storm. So far, the tan stallion with a long black mane had been fairly accepting of Link as a rider, but he could tell from riding Khamsin that the stallion could run as fast as the wind of his name if he wanted to.

Link shrugged, flexing his shoulders as he pondered how to get into the desert. He heard the chain-mail he wore jingle as he did so, and he tugged at the collar of the sleeveless green tunic he wore over it, adjusting it under the baldric he wore to hold his shield on his back. Wearing the tunic of the Hero made Link feel a little more like a warrior, but he knew he had a long way to go.

Khamsin snorted impatiently, shifting his hooves.

Link chuckled. "Yeah, you're right," he told the horse. "We should just go and figure it out on the way."

Ahead, he could see the remains of a road, though it was in disrepair, and as he urged Khamsin forward, the stallion picked his way over the obstructions with a nimble-footed grace, quickly ascending the path as if he had walked it many times before.

After an hour of climbing and carefully picking their way through the treacherous path, Link and his new horse paused at the top of the cliff to look out over the endless expanse of sand that lay before them. Already the sun seemed harsher, and Link took a drink of water out of his canteen, looking for the fortress Majacen had told him about.

He saw only a wide expanse of rolling dunes and mesas, nothing that looked man-made.

Link frowned. _I'd hate to get lost in this place_, he thought. _Nobody would ever know what happened to me._

Glancing up at the shining disc of the sun, Link estimated that he had perhaps another three hours of daylight, and he looked back out at the desert, attempting to figure out how far he could get in that time.

An amused female voice broke into his thoughts, startling the Hero. "Enjoying the view?" it asked in Hylian, the words clipped with a slight accent.

Link dropped his hand to the hilt of his sword, looking around for the woman. He narrowed his eyes and listened closely as he heard a stealthy footstep behind him. Giving no outward indication he knew where the woman was, he continued to listen to her footsteps, and upon hearing the quiet creak of a bowstring, he tensed his legs in the stirrups.

"What are you-" was all the woman could get out before Link hurled himself backwards out of the saddle, flipping through the air to land just in front of the woman, drawing his sword and chopping the head off the arrow she aimed at him in the same smooth motion.

The robed and hooded figure stumbled back in surprise as the bow dropped from her hands. Barely a second later, her hand disappeared into her swirling tan-and-brown cloak and emerged with a scimitar, which she slashed at Link in a horizontal strike.

He caught the slash on the blade of his own sword, forcing it aside to slash back, taking a step forward. His opponent nimbly spun out of the way, throwing the edge of her cloak up to snap in front of Link's face. He leaned out of the way, bringing his sword up to guard, but she had somehow moved behind him and he had only a moment's warning before a booted foot kicked him in the back.

Link threw himself forward, rolling with the motion to jump to his feet and spin around to catch a heavy diagonal slice meant for his neck near the crossguard of his own weapon.

The woman's blade locked with his, and Link used his greater height and strength to push her back, but with a lightning-fast movement, the woman broke away and swept her leg out in a graceful kick that caught Link across the back of his knees. He collapsed, but was able to keep his grip on his sword, and he swatted her scimitar away as she thrust the point at his head.

Just as Link sprang to his feet, the woman spun in three quick slashes that knocked his sword out of the way, but he slipped one hand back to grasp his shield. Just as she thrust again, Link swept his shield around to turn the strike aside.

To his surprise, the woman backed away and lowered her scimitar, amusement in her vibrant light green eyes. "The Green Phoenix," she said, pointing to his shield. "I know that symbol." She sheathed her scimitar, the blade disappearing into her cloak. "You are the Hero, then?" she asked, meeting his eyes.

Link nodded. "I am."

Amusement twinkled in the woman's eyes, all he could see of her face under her scarf and hood aside from the lower edge of a jewel she wore on her forehead. "You are much too young to be the man who first bore that shield," she said. He saw a glimmer of respect in her eyes. "But, you fight like a Hero, even though you lack finesse."

She lowered her hood and scarf, revealing bright red hair and young, attractive features. Link recognized her as a Gerudo, breathing an inner sigh of relief that he had found one of the desert people so soon.

"I am Akama," the Gerudo warrior said. "Why have you come to the desert, Hero?"

"I actually came here to learn more about the ways of the sword," Link said. "I need to improve my skills in order to fight a powerful sorcerer."

Akama nodded. "I could tell you lack formal training. Your Triforce likely makes up for it through instinct, am I correct?"

Link also nodded. "Yeah, I think so. How did you know?"

The Gerudo warrior gestured to him. "You wear the green tunic of the Hylian Heroes, not to mention your shield. I know a bit about your Triforce, since the last Hero to visit the desert told our Matriarch about his powers." She smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "With some serious instruction, few could match you."

Akama's smile slowly faded. "This sorcerer you fight, is he a tall man shrouded in a dark robe and cloak, his face hidden by a hood?"

That matched the man he'd seen during the assassination, so Link nodded. "You've seen him?" he asked.

Akama gestured at the desert below them. "Some of our warriors have seen him skulking around some old Zuna ruins near here, and I myself saw him not five hours ago, walking through the dunes toward the cave in that mesa over there." She pointed at a mesa a few miles away, by itself in the expanse of sand.

"Is he still in the area?" Link asked, looking at the mesa the Gerudo had indicated.

Akama shook her head. "He may have gone inside the cave, because I have not seen him since then."

She gestured past Link to where Khamsin stood watching the two of them. "Your horse is of our stock, so he should be able to handle the journey."

Akama put two fingers in her mouth and whistled sharply, and a few seconds later, another stallion of similar size and coloring to Link's horse trotted into view, his mane lighter in color and the saddle of a different design. With a quick, practiced movement, the Gerudo warrior swung up into the saddle.

While Link mounted his own horse, Akama gestured out at the desert. "I will take you to one of our fortresses near here," she said. "I am due to report back from my patrol, so I will take you with me." She turned her horse around and waved back at him with one hand. "Follow me."

Link put his heels to his horse's flanks and followed the Gerudo warrior deeper into the desert.

--

* * *

--

The Sorcerer kept to the shadows, moving from building to building in the Gerudo city as he listened to the conversations around him. He knew the language well, and so he carefully listened for words like 'Zelda,' 'Hyrule,' and 'Princess,' trying to determine if the Crown Princess and her brother had been brought here.

Once a search of the castle and the surrounding city had proved fruitless, the Sorcerer had made a list of places where a bodyguard could have spirited his quarry and began searching them. He didn't expect that they would have come to the Gerudo Desert, so that was the place where he had come to search first. He had compiled the list in order of likelihood and was searching in reverse order, starting with least likely in case the bodyguard was a clever sort.

He heard nothing but ordinary chatter, some food orders, some gossip, and some discussion of what to do about the recent string of strange murders in the city.

The Sorcerer paused when he heard about the murders and edged closer to the two women who were talking. From their tone and the terminology they used, he thought them city guards in charge of law enforcement.

"Are the wounds present?" one of the Gerudo warriors asked.

"They are, right on the artery," the second replied. "This body was hidden inside an empty house. Two children found her as they were exploring."

"How long had she been dead?" the first asked.

"Hours," the second replied. "The body was still warm when I went to investigate and she was not yet stiff."

The first Gerudo sighed angrily. "This is the third body wounded like this that has been found this month. Who is doing this? No Gerudo would kill her sisters in this manner."

The Sorcerer puzzled over the strange description momentarily before moving on. This had nothing to do with him, so he quickly put it out of his mind. His quarry was not here, so he made his preparations to move on to the next place on his list.

--

* * *

--

Link took another swig from his canteen, pulling at the collar of his tunic. He had long since removed the chain-mail, and now wore only the sleeveless green tunic under the desert cloak the Gerudo had given him. The light material kept the sun off his skin while still letting what little breeze there was through. He hated the desert already. It was ridiculously hot and sand was getting _everywhere_.

Nearby, Akama spoke in Gerudo to several of her fellow warriors while they waited for the commander of the fortress to finish speaking with her superiors in the nearby city. The commander had received an urgent call through the fortress' Communication Stone, and had been talking for more than an hour to the council in the city.

Link waited in the courtyard in the center of the fortress, surrounded by high adobe walls along which women armed with scimitars and bows patrolled, watching the desert roads and the passage into Hyrule.

Several warriors had set up archery targets and were practicing their marksmanship. Link watched, impressed, as they nailed the exact center of the target almost every time, no matter what the distance. Other targets had been set up at seemingly random places around the fortress, and occasionally, at a sharp command from one of the warriors, an archer would suddenly turn and fire at one of the other targets with barely a second's aim, hitting the bull's-eye each time.

Akama approached him, a large recurved bow in her hands. He noticed it was slightly bigger than the bows the other warriors were using, and was carved with different symbols than the other bows.

"Here," she said, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Why don't you join the others? If you're going to be the Hero, you need archery skills as much as swordsmanship." She handed Link the bow and a string.

Link had watched the Hyrule Soldiers practicing their archery, and though he had never personally shot a bow before, he knew what to do from long hours of watching and observing what the soldiers did. Or at least, he thought he did.

Fitting the loop at one end of the string to the end of the bow, Link flexed it easily and fitted the other loop onto the other end, looking up at Akama to ask for some arrows. He noted her surprised look, and asked her what was wrong.

She regarded him with a puzzled expression, then shook her head. "Nothing," she said, handing him a quiver of arrows.

He took off his cloak and baldric and attached the quiver to the leather belt, buckling it on so the arrows poked up over his left shoulder. He pulled out an arrow and held it in his left hand, holding the bow in his right.

Akama pointed to the target closest to them. "Shoot!" she said.

Link fit the arrow to the bowstring, pulled it back until the fletching nearly touched his lips, and sighted down the shaft of the arrow at the center of the target. He released, and the bowstring thrummed as the arrow leaped at the target.

It missed the target completely, impacting with the wall beyond.

Link sighed disappointedly and frowned when he heard Akama chuckling beside him. Then he noticed something odd about the arrow he had shot. Instead of splintering when it had hit the wall, the arrow had sunk several inches into the stone. Link lowered the bow and walked over to look at the arrow, peering at it suspiciously.

Akama accompanied him and reached out to pull the arrow from the wall, but was unable to budge it. She looked up at him, impressed, and gestured to the bow.

"It is as I thought," she said. "You have great strength, but lack skill. Have you ever used a bow before?"

The Hero shook his head. "No, I haven't."

Akama smirked. "I didn't think so. Your Triforce must make you very strong, because that bow," she gestured to the weapon he held in his hands, "was made for our last king, and he was the only one who was able to use it. It takes two of us to string it, and only a few can even pull the string back far enough to shoot. We use it in competition to test our strength."

Link looked down at the bow. "Really? I didn't have any trouble at all."

Akama laughed out loud. "Exactly. You should realize how blessed you are to bear a piece of your people's Triforce. But, if you are to live up to the reputation of the rest of your country's legendary warriors, you need more practice."

Without warning, Akama drew her scimitar and slashed at Link's forearm. He jerked back and felt the steel of her blade pass a fraction of an inch from his arm, drawing his sword with his other hand and snapping it up into a guard position. The bow clattered to the paving stones as Akama leaped forward, slashing again and again in a merciless whirlwind of strikes.

Link stumbled back, flustered as he tried to block the sudden onslaught, but he felt a strange feeling come over him, one he recognized from the assassination and other times when he'd had to exert himself. Time appeared to slow down, and his sword arm seemed to take on a life of its own, moving independently from his thoughts to block the Gerudo warrior's attacks.

With a clang, his boot brushed his shield, left where he'd dropped it when he put the quiver on his baldric. Immediately, he slammed his foot down on the edge and flipped the shield up into his grip, quickly moving it between himself and Akama, who began adding kicks in combination with her scimitar slashes.

Link ducked under a slash meant for his neck and blocked a kick with his shield, suddenly planting his hand on the ground and swinging his leg out in a sweep kick.

Akama leaped over his kick, but by the time she landed, Link had sprung to his feet and went on the offensive, turning aside her next slash with his shield to send his sword in for a stab. When he saw that she would not be able to block it, Link arrested the momentum of his arm to halt the point of his sword two inches from her navel.

Both of them stopped, breathing heavily, and as Link lowered his sword, time resumed its normal pace and the rush of strength he had felt faded.

Akama chuckled, sheathing her scimitar. "You learn quickly," she said, raising one eyebrow. "Very quickly."

Link nodded absently as he sheathed his own weapon and returned his shield to his back. He was still unused to the strange feeling, which he thought to be the influence of his Triforce, and it unsettled him. He had never done things like this before, and he wasn't sure whether he liked the feeling or not.

"Impressive, young Hylian," a new voice said. Link turned to see a tall Gerudo warrior standing at the entrance to the interior of the fortress, one hand resting on the hilt of the scimitar at her side.

She walked over to him, looking him over with pale blue eyes that sharply contrasted with her tanned skin. The warrior extended a hand and gripped forearms with Link.

"I am Dalaana," she said. "I am the commander of this fortress. I understand you want to receive weapons training?"

Link nodded. "Yes, I do. I need to learn quickly before the Sorcerer finds the people I'm protecting."

Dalaana nodded sharply. "We will begin immediately."

Suspicious, Link dropped a hand to his sword. "How immediately?"

Dalaana grinned, drawing her scimitar. Three more Gerudo did the same.

"Immediately," the commander said.

Link sighed heavily and drew his sword.

--

* * *

--  
Author's Note: Readers of 'The Fourth Piece' will recognize Majacen, since he features in that story, also. Silverwolf05 has posted a picture of him as he appears in 4th Piece on DeviantArt, so to reach it, go to my profile, click on the 'Homepage' link, and once you're there, go to 'Browse Favorites' and it should be there. Since he's more than three hundred years younger in this story, just picture his hair as mostly black for how he appears in this time period. More character portraits and other 4th Piece-related art can be found in my Favorites section, so go check those out if you have not already done so. Chapter 3 is almost completely finished, and should be up within a few days. Thanks to all readers and reviewers!


	3. Training Day

Three

"Enough!"

"Oh, thank the Goddesses!" Link exclaimed, sagging against the wall next to him. He dropped his sword and ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, breathing heavily. The sweat rapidly dried in the intense desert heat, providing no relief whatsoever.

"Here," Akama said, tossing him a full canteen of water.

Link downed the entire container at once, allowing himself to sink to the ground beside the wall once he was finished. He continued to breathe heavily, trying to calm down, and nodded wearily to Akama as she leaned against the wall next to him. Infuriatingly, she was not even breathing hard. Granted, she had been only one of five Gerudo who had been fighting him at once, but still…

"You are improving rapidly," Akama said. "Already you are a warrior to be reckoned with."

Link sighed, shaking the canteen to make sure it was really empty. "Well, I should hope so," he said, hearing nothing. "It's been almost a week of solid combat training." She nodded, so he added, ticking the list off on his fingers, "In the desert. Sixteen hours a day. Almost no rest breaks. Five on one."

Akama laughed. "This is just the basic training we give our children."

Link looked over at her despairingly. "How old are your kids when you make them do this?"

Akama laughed harder. "Ten."

Link spluttered incredulously. "_Ten?_ No wonder you're all so tough."

The Gerudo warrior grinned. "This is just the first tier of training, too. Unfortunately, you don't have time to go all the way through, but with the way you've progressed over the last week, I'm certain you would make it."

"Thanks," Link said, finally able to control his breathing.

The Gerudo were merciless, completely intolerant of weakness, and so he had quickly had to adapt or suffer the consequences. His Triforce had been in overdrive, and Link now felt stronger and healthier than he ever had in his life. He had a few impressive scars on his arms from times when he had been too slow, too. The Gerudo didn't believe in training weapons.

Akama offered her hand to help him to his feet, and she flipped his sword to him with the toe of her boot once he stood. "Come," she said. "Dalaana wishes to speak with you."

Link sheathed his sword, dusting off his tunic. "The final test isn't fighting her, is it?" he asked, dreading the answer. Dalaana always beat him when they sparred, even when he pushed himself to his limits.

The Gerudo warrior laughed. "No, you are finished for today. In fact, your training is finished completely. If you keep practicing what we have taught you, no one but a Gerudo will be able to match you with the blade."

Link looked over at her. "Really?"

Akama nodded. "I am certain most of your progress is due to your Triforce, but you have a natural talent with the sword. You would have become an expert swordsman even if you hadn't been chosen as your country's Hero."

The young warrior grinned. "Thank you."

Akama gestured to where Dalaana stood at the exit to the fortress, a concerned look on the commander's features.

"Well done, Hero," Dalaana said, extending a hand to grip forearms with Link. She indicated that he follow her, and he did so, mounting the steps up to the walkway that ran around the top of the outer wall.

Once they were at the top of the stairs, Dalaana moved to look out at the vast expanse of shifting sand and Link joined her.

She was silent for a while, and Link was glad for the rest. He leaned on the parapet and watched the sun play over the dunes and rock formations spread out before them the desert seeming to shimmer under the heat mirage.

Finally, the Gerudo commander spoke. "We are happy to honor our treaty with your people, Hero. It has been an honor to train you, but the council requests a favor in return."

Link looked over at her. "Sure. What do they want me to do?"

Dalaana met his gaze, her expression serious. "There have been a string of bizarre murders in the capital over the last month. We think there is some sort of creature loose and hunting at night. The council wants you to help us capture the creature and destroy it."

Link nodded. "What do they know about it?"

"Just that it only hunts at night," Dalaana replied. "The murders have been less frequent since we picked up on the pattern and began taking precautions, but we still find another body every few days."

Link frowned thoughtfully. "How are the bodies wounded? Is it the same every time?"

Dalaana nodded. "Two small wounds on the main artery of the neck, but there is never any blood, since the bodies are drained of it. There is almost never any further injury, either. The investigators cannot figure out how something could kill a Gerudo warrior without her fighting back."

Link looked out at the desert again. "Well, I'm grateful for the training, so I'd be happy to help. What do you want me to do?"

The Gerudo commander gestured back down the stairs. "I will send Akama with you. You can be at the city by nightfall tomorrow if you set off this afternoon."

The Hero nodded once. "Let's go, then."

--

* * *

--

Zelda looked across the chessboard at her brother, smiling slightly at his thoughtful expression. The two of them leaned over the board, filled with small stone pieces one of their Goron hosts had carved for them a few days ago. They had been playing quite a bit of chess since then, as Zelda discovered that it successfully kept Gareth distracted and happy as he struggled to defeat his sister at the ancient game.

Around them, several Gorons watched with rapt attention. Chess was new to them, since most of their contests were of the more physical kind, and the elders and a few of the other Gorons had been watching the royals' matches closely, attempting to learn this new sport.

Zelda was winning this game, but as usual, Gareth refused to give up. He had only a knight, two pawns, his queen and a sage to protect his king, whereas his sister still had most of her pieces and had spread them cunningly over the board. Zelda knew Gareth had only one move he could make to avoid losing another of his pieces, and she watched him closely to see if he saw it.

Frowning thoughtfully, Gareth reached out to touch his remaining sage, but hesitated, looking at Zelda's queen, which sat only a few spaces away. It was directly in the line he could move with the sage, but if he captured Zelda's queen, one of her knights would then be able to capture his sage.

Still frowning, Gareth moved his sage on its diagonal line and captured Zelda's queen. She took his sage with her knight immediately, and attempted to hide her smile as she saw a sudden flash of insight on her brother's face. In capturing his sage, Zelda's knight had moved out of the way of her king, which sat directly across from Gareth's queen, two spaces over. In two moves, he could win the game, since none of her pieces were close enough to her king to capture his queen should he move it. A pawn, her rook and her other knight blocked the king's way in the only other ways it could move.

Grinning triumphantly, Gareth moved his queen across the board to sit within range of her king. "Check," he said.

Zelda reached out and touched her sage with one finger. "Check," she said, pointing at his king. She laughed lightly as Gareth groaned. In moving his queen, he had left a straight diagonal line from her sage to his king.

"I didn't even see that!" he said in amused frustration. He looked up at the Goron patriarch as the enormous rock-man laughed deeply, reaching out to lightly pat the prince's shoulder before he left.

"I didn't either, the first time I played chess with Grandfather," Zelda said. "He did the exact same thing to me, letting me think I'd beat him and then springing his trap. Now, do you want to see what you could have done differently to prevent me from doing that?"

Gareth shook his head, smiling resignedly. "I think that's enough for today. Maybe next time." His expression wavered slightly as he looked up at Zelda. "Grandfather must have trained Father well, because I never saw you beat him at chess."

"No," Zelda agreed, "I never did win a game of chess against Father. I used to love to watch him and Grandfather play. Their games could go on for hours as the two of them tried to outmaneuver each other. It was almost more exciting than a real battle."

Gareth sighed lightly. He was quiet for a long moment before he looked back up at Zelda. "What do you think Link's doing?" he said, idly reaching out to pluck one of his captured knights from in front of her. He rolled it between his fingers as he waited for her to answer.

"I'm not sure," Zelda said. "He hasn't checked in in a while."

"Do you think he's fighting the man that… that attacked us?" Gareth asked.

"I don't know," Zelda answered. "But I'm sure he's doing everything he can. It won't be too much longer."

"I hope not," said Gareth. He gestured to the chessboard. "All right, show me what I did wrong."

Zelda smiled slightly as she leaned over the board again.

--

* * *

--

Link and Akama reached the Gerudo city just as the sun set the next day. The Hero was tired; every time they'd stopped for a so-called 'rest break,' Akama insisted on sparring, pointing out any flaws in Link's technique she could still find. Thankfully, she found less to correct with each match, and Link grew more confident with his skills all the time.

Two city guards greeted them at the gate, and Akama explained in Gerudo who Link was and why he was here. They stepped aside and opened the gate, waving them through.

The city was small and not very ornate on the outside, arranged in square blocks with straight, stone-paved streets. Occasionally, a curve could be seen, but almost all of the buildings were square, and the tan stone of the city wall towered over everything. No building was high enough to see over the wall, but Link thought this didn't matter because there really wasn't much to see besides sand outside anyway.

A young girl took their horses and led them off to the stables while Akama showed Link to the council building. It was square and relatively plain on the outside, like most of the other buildings in the city, which Akama explained was a necessity because of the occasional sandstorms that swept through the area. Any carvings or decorations would not last long against the abrasive sand, even with the protective barrier of the city wall lessening the storms' ferocity.

Inside, the ceilings were low, only a few inches over the tall Hero's head, and the hallways were narrow, lit by torchlight and the occasional skylight propped open with a stick of wood.

Akama led the way through the halls of the council building to where the Matriarch waited. "She is the ruler of our people," the warrior explained as they walked. "Her role is to rule our tribe until the next king is born, and thereafter to train him to assume the throne."

"So she's like your queen," Link said.

Akama shrugged. "Not exactly, but she is the ruler of our people, so be sure to be respectful."

Link nodded. "Of course."

As they reached a set of wooden double doors, two Gerudo armed with spears stood aside to let them through, watching the strange man in green and whispering to each other once the doors closed.

Waiting inside the council chamber, a circular room lined with a ring of plain, straight-backed chairs, was a tall Gerudo woman in her late thirties or early forties with long flame-red hair and tanned skin, like the rest of her tribe. Her clothes were of finer quality than the others, and the jewel she wore on her forehead was set in a fancier mount, but otherwise, she appeared to be a typical Gerudo warrior. An ornate jeweled scimitar hung from her belt.

"Welcome, Hero," she said in unaccented Hylian. "The Gerudo tribe is honored to have you as our guest."

"Thank you," replied Link, touching his left fist to the opposite shoulder in the gesture of respect Akama had shown him.

The Matriarch met his gaze with her amber-colored eyes, an interesting color Link had never seen before. "As I am sure my warriors have told you, we have some sort of creature loose in the city. I request that you help us destroy it."

"Certainly," said Link. "I'd be happy to help."

The Matriarch nodded sharply. "Good. Since you already know Akama, you can work with her to find the creature." Her expression became gravely serious. "Be on your guard. This creature is deadly, and we do not know where it lurks. It could be anywhere in the city." She gestured to Akama. "Both of you, stay within sight of your partner. One thing we do know about the creature is that it only attacks when its victims are alone."

Akama touched her fist to her shoulder and bowed. "Yes, my lady." She looked over at Link. "Let's go."

Link bowed to the Matriarch and the two of them left the council chamber.

--

* * *

--

The Sorcerer stood shrouded in his cloak at the top of a waterfall in Zora's Domain. So far, none of the aquatic people had seen him, and he was going to make sure it stayed that way. If the alarm was raised, Zelda and Gareth would disappear while the Zoras fought him.

He extended his senses, searching for the distinctive feel of the Triforce. He felt nothing, and expanded his senses farther still, mentally searching the entire village.

Still nothing. Wait, something to the west, in the direction of the desert. The Sorcerer scowled; he'd just come from the desert, and he'd found nothing there.

He focused on the spark of the Golden Power he had sensed and spread a network of questing tendrils out to discern the Triforce Bearer's identity. It didn't feel like Wisdom, and it was too weak to be Power, so that left only Courage.

The Sorcerer opened his eyes. The Hero. The chosen warrior of the Hylians' gods would almost certainly know where Zelda and her brother were; in fact, he might be protecting them himself.

Frowning, the Sorcerer focused harder on the Triforce of Courage. It was active, and he could sense that the Hero was drawing heavily on his piece of the Golden Power, likely in a battle or other dangerous situation.

The Sorcerer took off, levitating toward the desert where he could watch the situation more closely.

--

* * *

--

Link and Akama sprinted through the streets, running after someone in a long dark cloak fleeing them. After an hour and a half of searching, coordinated with several other teams of Gerudo warriors, one of the teams had surprised what they thought to be the creature about to feed on its latest victim.

Link and Akama had come running, and now they chased the stranger in the enshrouding cloak through the city streets by the light of the moon, which was nearly full overhead.

Akama gestured at a side passage and broke away from Link, circling around to cut the creature off ahead.

Link pulled out the bow the Gerudo had given him and stopped just long enough to shoot an arrow at the fleeing cloaked figure's back. The creature stopped, and Link saw a rag-wrapped arm emerge from the swirling cloak to catch the arrow and snap it in its fingers. As it pivoted, Link caught a glance of glowing orange eyes within the enshrouding hood.

He put away his bow and drew his sword as he sprinted down the alley again. This thing seemed to be human, or at least had taken human form, and that surprised Link. He had been expecting some kind of animal.

As the Hero pushed himself to greater speed, he saw the swirling black cloak flutter out as the figure ducked into a nearby building whose door was open. As he rounded the corner, Link heard Akama's voice shout a challenge and an unearthly shriek answer her.

He ran into the building in time to see the cloaked figure shove Akama out of the way and jump down a flight of stairs, the ragged cloak fanning out like an enormous pair of wings.

"You all right?" he asked the Gerudo warrior as he passed her.

She nodded, running down the stairs after him. "This leads into the catacombs," she said. "We bury our dead in this complex."

"Why would it go into the tombs?" Link said, legs pumping as he pelted after the creature, straining just to keep it in sight.

Low, narrow tunnels flashed past him, the occasional torch providing meager illumination. He knew he should slow down to avoid tripping, but the creature was much faster than he was, and he didn't want to lose sight of it in the maze of tunnels.

"Is there another way out of here?" Link asked his companion, nearly hitting a wall as he tried to round a sharp corner without slowing down.

"No," Akama answered. "I will call for warriors to block the entrance. There is nowhere for it to go. It's trying to lose us so it can double back and flee."

Link sheathed his sword as they ran through the tunnels and brought out his bow again. The archery training had been just as intensive as the sword training, and now Link could hit the bull's-eye four times out of five.

He paused at a long straight section of tunnel and drew the fletching back almost to his lips, sighting along the shaft of the arrow at the creature. When he was sure he had the shot, he released the arrow and grinned in satisfaction as it hit the cloaked figure between the shoulders. The creature stumbled and pulled open the door to one of the tombs, staggering inside.

"Ha!" Akama crowed. "We have it now. Be on your guard, Link. Now that it is cornered, the creature will fight even more fiercely."

The Hero nodded as he put away his bow and drew his sword. The two of them stopped on either side of the tomb's door and paused for a moment to catch their breath, their eyes meeting as they readied themselves. Akama nodded slightly, gesturing with her chin for the Hero to go first.

Link shouted fiercely as he sprang inside the tomb, his sword held out in front of him. The tiny circular room held a stone slab on which a white-wrapped body lay, but he saw no sign of the creature. Slowly, he moved further inside the tomb, stepping over the grave goods piled next to the slab. His eyes darted quickly around the perimeter of the small chamber, trying to pick out any shadows that seemed larger than they should be.

His ears pricked at a small sound behind him, but he recognized it as Akama's footstep as she cautiously stepped inside the chamber. Link's senses seemed ten times sharper than normal, and the dark tomb posed no impediment to him as his eyes adjusted to the miniscule amount of light filtering in from outside.

He saw a dark curtain partitioning off another section of the tomb, and he slowly walked over to it, pushing the edge of the material aside with his sword.

"Link," Akama whispered behind him, a note of fear in her voice.

The Hero glanced back at the Gerudo warrior to see her eyes locked on the ceiling over his head. Tightening his grip on his sword, Link slowly looked up and felt an icy tendril of fear slip down his spine.

The curtain was not a curtain at all, but the creature's cloak, hanging draped over a section of the tomb's wall. As he looked up, Link got a good look at the creature's face under its hood. It was vaguely humanoid, with dark gray skin and solid orange eyes, and as it opened its mouth, Link watched in horror as the canine teeth slowly extended out, to the point where they could only be described as fangs.

The creature hissed softly, its face upside-down relative to the Hero's, and it met Link's eyes with a hypnotizing stare, its pupil-less eyes steadily holding his gaze.

Link drew in a shuddering breath, more afraid than he'd ever been in his life, but he could not look away from the creature's penetrating gaze. Its corpse-like lips drew away from its pointed white teeth in a terrible smile, and it hissed again as it crawled slightly towards the frozen Hero, staring deeply into his eyes.

The Hero somehow felt his fingers tightening on the leather-wrapped hilt of his sword, and his breath came in short gasps as his mind raced, trying to think what to do.

The creature overhead growled softly, an almost amused sound. Link saw its arms tensing on the ceiling, and he whipped his sword up just in time as the creature sprang for him, hands trying to fasten around his neck.

He sliced at the creature's hand, but it pulled back and struck Link across the face, knocking him backwards over the body on the stone slab. He scrambled to his feet, but the cloaked figure dropped to the floor and stood, meeting his eyes with its hypnotizing stare again. When the point of his sword began to rise, it let out a loud, eerie shriek, a terrible echoing sound that seemed to stab into the Hero's core.

Link froze, nearly overcome with terror as the creature reached up with its long-nailed hands and lowered its hood, revealing a hairless, skull-like head that looked like it belonged on a week-old corpse. Slowly, growling quietly, the creature took another step closer to the Hero.

"Wh-What are you?" Link managed, bringing up his sword to point at the creature as it continued to slowly circle the stone slab on which the body rested.

The creature cocked its head to the side and bared its fangs again in a gruesome parody of a smile, still staring at the young warrior. Link heard a soft sound to his right as Akama took a step toward the creature and raised her scimitar.

Its smile abruptly vanished as the creature turned and, faster than either the Hero or the Gerudo could react, lashed out with one fist and knocked Akama backwards out of the tomb. It turned back to Link, but the second its eyes had left his was enough, and he sprang at the creature, swinging his sword in a powerful slash meant for the place where its neck met its shoulder under the cloak. It snarled in surprise and ducked out of the way with superhuman speed, catching Link on the back of his head with a powerful blow as he stumbled past.

The Hero fell to the ground and rolled over, bringing up his sword as the creature jumped at him, cold gray hands trying to wrap around his throat. He planted the palm of his other hand on the flat of his sword and held the creature back as it pressed its fangs closer to his neck, growling.

Link grunted in desperate effort as he tried to force the creature away, but it was much stronger than he was and it leaned in closer in a mockery of a lover's embrace, withered lips drawing further back as its teeth sought his neck.

The Hero flexed his arms and pushed with all his strength, forcing the creature back, and their eyes met again as the creature hissed with effort, fangs spread wide. Its eyes glowed with a cold light, and Link felt it trying to hypnotize him again, but he strained against its overwhelming mental force, feeling the now-familiar tingle of his Triforce grow stronger as he drew deeper upon its energies.

Their faces were now only inches apart as the creature redoubled its efforts, and its breath was frigid on Link's skin, its hands locked around his wrists and cold as ice as it tried to push his sword closer to him. The flat of the blade was now all that separated its body from his, and Link felt its icy grip sapping his strength as he strained to push it away.

He flexed his arms and, with incredible exertion, forced the creature away from him. Its mouth only inches from his face, the creature shrieked loudly right in his ears, and Link felt his strength drain away at the horrible sound. Grinning triumphantly, the creature leaned in for his throat again.

Incredibly, Link heard the creak of a bowstring being stretched back, and both he and the creature looked up to see Akama with Link's bow in her hands, an arrow nocked and aimed right at the creature's head.

The creature turned its hypnotizing stare on the Gerudo warrior and let out another eerie paralyzing shriek, raising itself up slightly.

Akama froze in terror, arms shaking as she shuddered, but this proved to be the creature's undoing. Akama's fingers slipped from the bowstring, and the arrow leaped out and caught the creature in the shoulder, knocking it backwards.

Link scrambled out from underneath it and stabbed before it could react, plunging his blade into its chest. The creature shrieked in pain and glared murderously at the Hero, its cold orange eyes meeting his once again. Hissing in pain and effort, the creature's frigid hand locked onto Link's wrist and, surprisingly, it pulled itself closer, its other hand reaching out to grasp the back of his neck.

He brought his other hand up to press against the creature's throat, and it was like touching a block of ice as he pressed it away as it pulled itself closer, fangs opening wide again only an inch from his throat. Link pushed with his sword and his other hand and managed to halt its advance just as its sharp teeth brushed the skin of his neck, shoving it back a few inches.

A booted foot caught the creature in the stomach below Link's sword and it flew backwards, taking the Hero's blade with it. Akama swiped at the creature as it stumbled to its feet, but the creature ducked under the warrior's scimitar and pulled the Hero's blade out of its chest, bringing it up in front of itself.

Akama slashed and the creature blocked, skillfully turning the Gerudo's scimitar aside before lashing out with a long-nailed hand to claw Akama across the face. The Gerudo stumbled back a little, gasping with pain, and the creature grinned triumphantly, stabbing forward with Link's sword.

It didn't get far. Link launched himself forward and tackled it around the waist, driving the creature backwards until its back hit the stone wall of the tomb. It grunted and dropped Link's sword, which he promptly pounced on, jumping back a few feet to raise the point at the creature.

He glanced quickly behind to see that Akama had vanished, but he didn't have time to worry about her, because the creature jumped forward for him again, gray, corpse-like hands outstretched.

Link dropped to the ground and swept his leg through the creature's, knocking it off-balance so that it toppled into the stone slab face-first. He rolled to the side and came to his feet with a scimitar in his right hand, his own sword in his left.

As the creature slowly got to its feet, Link saw Akama run inside the chamber with a torch in one hand and her scimitar in the other. She gestured to the creature with the torch, and Link understood. When the creature swept its long-nailed hands out at him, he turned them aside with his sword and drove the scimitar into its chest, pushing back to pin it to a large, brittle woven basket stuffed full of clothes and blankets, all decades old.

He jumped back, and Akama darted forward and thrust the torch into the basket, turning to run as it caught fire almost immediately.

"I am sorry, sister," she said to the white-wrapped body on the stone slab. She shoved Link backwards through the door to the tomb and slammed the metal door closed, holding it shut with all her strength.

Link heard the awful shrieking of the creature inside as it jumped for the door and slammed into it, trying to force it open as the grave goods and the body inside burned. The Hero pressed himself to the door and helped Akama hold it closed, wincing at the heat coming through the door. The heavy metal door quickly heated up, and it scalded his shoulder through his chain-mail as he pressed it against the panel, but they knew they could not relax and so held the door closed at the creature pounded on it from the other side.

It seemed like hours but was only seconds later that the pounding stopped and all sound save that of the fire ceased. Gratefully, Link pulled away from the door and held a hand to his shoulder, feeling the heat of the chain-mail slowly dissipate. Gingerly, he put his hand inside his collar to check his shoulder, but was relieved to find that he hadn't been burned.

He stumbled over to the wall opposite the tomb's door and sat down, leaning back against it. Akama wearily sat down next to him, dropping her scimitar on the stone floor next to her.

Link gestured to the door. "Is that going to be okay?"

Akama nodded. "The walls are stone and the doors are metal. The fire won't spread."

Link sighed, still breathing heavily. "Good."

The two of them sat in silence, waiting for the fire to burn itself out and silently thanking their respective deities that they had been able to defeat the creature.

--

* * *

--

Once more Gerudo came to investigate and guided them out of the catacombs Link slept in the bed he was offered for several hours as if dead. The sun was high in the sky, almost directly overhead as he finally emerged from his room and sought out Akama.

Together, they returned to the tomb where they had fought the creature and found the Matriarch waiting for them, sifting through the charred wreckage with the tip of a spear.

"Nothing survived," she said, turning to face them. "We destroyed the creature's remains this morning and scattered the ashes over the desert."

Akama met her ruler's eyes apologetically. "I am sorry I had to destroy our sister's tomb, my lady, but we had no other choice."

The Matriarch nodded once. "It is all right, sister. My grandmother would be honored to know she was able to help you destroy this abomination."

_Grandmother?_ Link thought. Suddenly, he was even more sorry he had had to burn the tomb. He started to say something, but the Matriarch held up a hand.

"You have honored us with your assistance, Hero," she told him. "No apology is necessary." She straightened and changed the subject to prevent him from trying to apologize anyway. "Is this creature from Hyrule? Based on Akama's description of it and its powers, it is not something the Gerudo have seen before."

Link shook his head. "I have no idea what it was, milady. It resembled a creature Hylians call a 'redead,' but this was much more powerful than the description I received."

The Matriarch glanced briefly at the body on the stone slab, covered in a fresh white sheet in stark contrast to the blackened stone around it. "Perhaps you can consult your country's wise men when you return," she said quietly, looking back over at him. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like, but your quest likely cannot wait."

Link nodded. "I am very grateful for your training, but you are right. I should be getting back to Hyrule."

The Gerudo leader gestured to his companion. "Akama will see you back to the road to your country. Feel free to return whenever you wish, Hero."

The two of them left the Matriarch behind in the tomb, and Link felt a nagging guilty feeling as they left the fire-gutted crypt behind.

Despite the fact that they had defeated the creature, the destruction of the Matriarch's grandmother's tomb weighed heavily on the Hero, and he was silent as he and Akama left the catacombs.

--

* * *

--

The Sorcerer sat patiently in a small hollow in the side of the cliff that separated the Gerudo Desert from Hyrule, his dark cloak making him appear to be nothing more than a shadow on the rock.

He sensed the Hero drawing closer, and he allowed himself a small smile as he spied the green-clad figure atop his horse, paused at the edge of the road back into Hyrule conferring with another mounted figure, a Gerudo warrior.

When the Hero left, the Sorcerer would follow him and force the young warrior to reveal the location of his charges. Then he would kill all three of them.

--

* * *

--

Author's Note: For those of you who are interested, I'm next working on an entry for 'Missing Pieces,' my oneshot collection based on my other story, 'The Fourth Piece.' I'm then going to write another chapter in my Metroid story, which you can reach through my profile if you want ot check it out, and then I'm going to alternate between that story and this one until both are completed, so updates will probably come about every two weeks on this story, though it may go faster depending if I get a sudden burst of inspiration. Thanks for reading!


	4. Thunderstorm

Four

Link and Akama sat atop their horses at the border between the Gerudo Desert and Hyrule, looking out over the green fields and forests of Link's homeland.

"Farewell, Hero," Akama said, reaching over to grip his forearm in a warrior's salute. "You are welcome in the desert anytime."

"Thanks," Link said. "If you ever need any help with anything, don't hesitate to call me. I'll come back as fast as I can." He held out his Gossip Stone, and Akama touched her own stone to it, attuning the two magical stones to one another.

She smiled at him one last time and turned her horse around, riding off into the desert. He watched her go for a few moments, and then he turned around and reached up to scratch Khamsin behind the ears.

"You know the drill," he said to the stallion. "Let's go."

The horse started forward and carefully picked his way down the twisting narrow path, retracing the route the two of them had taken into the desert more than a week ago. Khamsin picked up his speed, moving with a sure-footed grace as they headed back into Hyrule.

After about an hour, they emerged into softer country, and Link pulled his horse to a halt as he thought about what to do next. He thought he should return to Majacen and let the wizard know he had completed his training with the Gerudo, since the old man might have more helpful suggestions as to what he could do next.

On the other hand, Link thought he could use a day or two's rest after the brutal training regimen, so he decided instead to go to the Eldin lands and visit Zelda and Gareth. He consulted a signpost for directions and set off in the direction of Death Mountain, whose smoldering crater he could see towering over the smaller hills of the canyon country to the east, the cone wreathed in a halo of smoke.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, and after another few hours of riding, rain began to fall, pelting the Hero and his mount with frigid droplets. Link brought out his cloak and draped it over himself and Khamsin's hindquarters, hunching low in the saddle as they sped along the beaten dirt road. He saw a few flashes of lightning off in the distance, and he moved away from a large tree in their path as a quick flash danced in its upper boughs.

Without warning, a lance of fiery orange energy stabbed out at him from the upper part of the tree he had avoided, and Link hurled himself out of the saddle to avoid it, grunting as he hit the ground and rolled to his feet. Khamsin galloped off, whinnying in fear.

Link drew his sword and took his shield in hand, looking for his assailant. A moment's tingling on the back of his neck alerted him to another blast, and he dived out of the way as an orange beam of magic gouged a chunk out of the ground where he had been standing.

The Hero backed away from the smoking crater and looked up at the tree, trying to spot the dark shape of the Sorcerer. Instead, he felt his senses prickle again and he moved his head suddenly to the left just in time to avoid a sword thrust, the gleaming steel blade reflecting a flash of lightning next to his eye.

Spinning away from the blade, Link brought up his shield and looked at the tall shape behind him. The Sorcerer, robed in black and covered in a long, wide cloak, stood at the ready position with his sword pointed at Link in silent threat. The young warrior could see no detail but a vague outline of a face beneath his enemy's hood, but the Sorcerer's body language more than conveyed his contempt and malice.

"What do you want with me?" Link demanded, blinking rain out of his eyes. The cold rain continued to pelt him, running in rivulets down his face and into his collar, soaking him.

The Sorcerer remained silent and motionless, cold eyes staring at the Hero as the two of them stood facing each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

With a blindingly fast movement, the Sorcerer surged forward, his dark cloak flowing around him as he spun to give greater momentum to his swing. Link caught the slash on his shield and cut under it, but the Sorcerer leaned back out of the way, lashing out with a booted foot to hook behind the Hero's knee.

Link slapped the boot away with his sword, raising his leg over the kick and extending his foot in a kick of his own at the Sorcerer's wrist.

The assassin jumped away with unnatural dexterity and slashed at Link again. The Hero met the Sorcerer's blade with his own, and their swords clashed together six times in rapid succession, crossing and thrusting, parrying and blocking each other's blows.

Link opened a hole in his opponent's defense by smashing aside his sword with his shield, and he took advantage of the opportunity this provided, thrusting for his opponent's chest. Some unseen force turned aside his blade, feeling slippery beneath the tip of Link's weapon.

He blocked a return slash with his shield and backed away a few steps, reassessing his opponent. The Sorcerer apparently had some kind of magical protection surrounding him, so he would be unable to penetrate it with his ordinary steel sword.

The Sorcerer jumped forward and reminded Link that the Hero had no such protection by slipping his blade inside the young warrior's defenses and slicing his side. Link felt his chain-mail turn the edge of the sword away, but that had been too close.

While he was close, the Sorcerer knocked Link's shield out of the way with his sword and lashed out with his empty hand in a vicious uppercut that knocked the Hero off balance. He stumbled backwards a few feet and finally tripped, landing hard on his back.

Determinedly, Link hauled himself to his feet and dropped into a ready position as his adversary raised his sword and began to charge.

Due to his Triforce's influence, Link felt time slow down for an instant as he absorbed a detailed observation in only a second. The Sorcerer favored his right leg slightly, as if a long-healed wound there affected his stride. He was right-handed, but held his sword in his left as he charged at Link. The Hero noticed a tiny sphere of orange energy forming in the Sorcerer's right palm, and he instantly deduced that if he were to block the slash with either his own sword or shield, the Sorcerer would loose a blast of magic at him.

Link prepared a counter-strategy, but all of that was obliterated in the next second by an overwhelming rush of light and sound. With a momentary feeling of energy building up surging through the air, a jagged white bolt of lightning suddenly stabbed down from the clouds and, as if directed by the Goddesses themselves, impacted with the Sorcerer, lighting him up with a blinding radiance for a fraction of a second.

In the next instant, a deafeningly loud peal of thunder and the outrush of a shockwave knocked the Hero completely off his feet and flat on his back, his head ringing.

As he shook the stars from his eyes and tried to collect his wits, Link saw that the Sorcerer had also been blasted off his feet and lay smoking in the middle of the road, his clothes scorched by the sudden intense heat of the lightning. The rain hissed off of his superheated sword, which slowly faded from a glowing orange to scorched black.

Link saw his advantage and leaped at his foe, his sword held point-downwards for a finishing strike. The Sorcerer managed to roll aside slightly, but Link's sword still sunk deeply into his side, a surely mortal wound.

The Hero pulled his blade free and adjusted his grip, intending to strike the villain's heart this time, but the Sorcerer moved with sudden quickness and jumped out of the way, making Link's stab sink into the mud the road had become instead.

The Sorcerer stumbled to his feet, weaving unsteadily, and Link fought to free his blade from the mud, but instead of attacking, the Sorcerer merely gave him a venomous look and moved his hand in an arcane gesture, disappearing as the air around him appeared to flex and bend momentarily.

Link rushed forward to the spot his enemy had just vacated, his sword raised, but it was too late. He sighed in frustration, irritably reaching up with one hand to wipe the rain off his face. The heavens crashed and boomed overhead, as if chastising him for letting the threat escape, and Link scowled up at the sky, moving off to try and find his horse.

--

* * *

--

Several hours later, Link entered the inn in Castle Town where he had spoken with Majacen and asked the innkeeper as to the whereabouts of the wizard.

The innkeeper, a pleasant, plump woman of about forty or so with curly brown hair, smiled, her eyes twinkling amusedly as the young Hero dripped on her floor.

"He's up in his room as far as I know, young sir," she said. "It seems he had the sense to stay out of the rain."

"Thanks," said Link, smiling wryly. He heard her chuckle as he turned and strode through the series of small puddles he had left on the simple wooden floor, pausing to hang his wet cloak on a peg near the fireplace.

Quickly, Link ascended the stairs and made his way through the hallway to Majacen's room, stopping to rap his knuckles on the door.

"Come in," the wizard's voice said from the other side.

Link opened the door and stepped inside to see Majacen sitting in one of the chairs next to the window, calmly sipping tea from a mug. The wizard gestured to a teapot and another mug sitting near his elbow on the table between the chairs.

"Would you care for some tea?" Majacen asked, smiling slightly through his graying dark beard. "You look like you could use some."

Link nodded. "As long as it's hot," he said, adjusting his sword as he sat down in the chair opposite the wizard. The rain had chilled him to the bone, and he welcomed the heat of the mug against his fingers as the wizard poured from the teapot.

Majacen's dark green eyes twinkled as he regarded the Hero. "I take it from your somewhat… bedraggled condition that you met with some adventure on the way back to the city, young Link?"

The Hero nodded. "I met the Sorcerer in Hyrule Field, and he attacked me."

Majacen's brows drew together in concern, and he leaned forward slightly across the table. "Please, tell me what happened," he said, his tone serious.

Quickly, Link described the fight, making note of the magical protection the Sorcerer had and how the assassin had acted once he had been hit by lightning.

The wizard leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm," he said finally. "I believe it is time for you to find some way to increase your own power to match that of your foe." He gestured to Link. "Since you are Hylian, you possess the innate capability to use magic, but you are already too old to become a student of the arcane arts. One must dedicate years of study to become truly proficient in such things, and you obviously do not have that kind of time." Majacen frowned thoughtfully. "No, you will need to seek an object of power if you hope to match your foe in battle. There are few I know of that would give the raw capability to stand against the kind of magic the Sorcerer wields, but since you mentioned that the lightning strike severely weakened him…"

Majacen fell silent for a few moments, deep in thought, and Link took advantage of this opportunity to take a few more sips of his tea. The pleasant warmth of the liquid spread through him and helped to dispel the chill from his bones.

He relaxed slightly as he looked out of the window and watched the vague flashes of the lightning outside, the dull rumble of the far-away thunder rolling over the city shortly afterward. The rain pelted the window in a staccato rhythm, flowing in rivulets down the glass that spread and split as if in slow imitation of the lightning.

Finally, the wizard stirred, a concerned look on his face. "Go to the Gorons and ask them what items they hold, Link," he said. "If I remember correctly, they guard a staff of great power that will help you stand against your foe."

At the wizard's meaningful look, Link set down his mug. "Now?" he asked wearily, dreading the answer.

"Yes, now," Majacen replied. "You have no time to waste, young Hero. Once the Sorcerer recovers from his wound, he will come after you and those you protect with a fury, and you must be able to stand against him once he does."

Link dropped one hand to rest on the hilt of his sword at his side. "I'll go ask the Gorons, then. It's about time I stopped by to check on Zelda and Gareth, anyway."

Majacen stood and looked up at Link as the young warrior did the same, since he was almost six inches shorter than the tall Hero.

"I shall keep searching for your enemy," he said, "and if I discern any weaknesses, I will let you know immediately. The sooner you dispatch this threat, the sooner we can work to stabilize the kingdom, lest Hyrule's enemies take advantage."

"All right," said Link. "See you later, Majacen."

The wizard nodded once. "Farewell, young Hero."

Link turned and left the room, headed downstairs and outside.

--

* * *

--

Zelda looked up from the chessboard at a sound at the other end of the large, round room deep within the Gorons' village carved into Death Mountain. Her brother turned to look, also, and his features brightened as he saw Link.

The tall Hero strode into the chamber with a broad smile, walking with long strides toward the royals. He was dressed in different clothes than those in which Zelda had last seen him, now wearing a sleeveless green tunic over a shirt of finely worked chain-mail, a long-sleeved white undershirt under this, mostly covered by leather bracers and fingerless gloves. Loose dark trousers were tucked into knee-length leather boots, and a sword hung at his side, the fletchings of a quiver of arrows poking up over one shoulder along with one end of a bow. Combined with his longish wavy blond hair and intense blue eyes, Link cut a dashing figure, and Zelda caught herself thinking he was rather handsome before the other thoughts and worries associated with their protector caught up with her and her mind was on business once again.

The Hero's appearance here could only mean that he'd come to consult with Zelda about something, and by the concerned expression that hid at the edges of his smile, she knew it worried him.

"Link!" Gareth said happily, moving forward as if to hug the Hero. Suddenly, he stopped and extended his hand instead, as if just then remembering his place.

Link shook her brother's hand in a strong warrior's greeting, smiling broadly as he clapped the boy on the shoulder with his other hand. "How've you been, Gar- ah, Your Highness?" Link caught himself, remembering that the two were well above his station and so should not be addressed informally.

Zelda smiled slightly to herself as Gareth launched into a description of what he and his sister had been doing during their time with the Gorons, which was, as he put it, a whole lot of nothing.

Once he was finished, Gareth looked up at Link inquisitively. "So, have you fought that assassin yet?" he asked, his tone growing more serious.

Link looked over at Zelda, meeting her eyes briefly as he spoke. "I have, actually. He attacked me during the storm, and we fought." He looked back down at Gareth, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, but he got away."

Gareth nodded sadly. "That's all right, Link. You'll get him eventually; I know you will."

"Young warrior!" the Goron patriarch boomed as he entered the chamber, his massive head nearly scraping the ceiling. Gorons were some of the few beings beside which the tall Link appeared short, especially the nine-foot-tall Patriarch, whose name Zelda did not know.

The enormous rock-man slapped Link on the back heartily, eliciting a clang from the shield slung over the Hero's quiver. "I heard you were here," the Patriarch said, grinning broadly. "Come to check on your charges?"

Link nodded. "I have. I've also come to ask if you are guarding any items of power. I need something to help me match the Sorcerer's power, and I was wondering if you know of anything I can use."

The Patriarch frowned thoughtfully, his broad face creasing in concentration. "The Elders will know," he said. "I will bring the keeper of our histories, Gor Ignus."

He gestured quickly to one of the guards who stood at the door, and the Goron moved off to fetch the elder.

Link turned to Zelda. "How have you been, Your Highness?" he said, addressing her this time.

The princess shrugged, reaching up to brush a lock of golden hair behind her ear. "It is as Gareth said," she replied. "There is not much to do but wait."

Though he attempted to suppress it, the muscles in Link's jaw worked momentarily and a hint of an apologetic expression gathered around his eyes. Clearly, he was irritated with himself for not dispatching the Sorcerer during their fight in Hyrule Field.

The Hero met her eyes with a serious expression. "I swear I will find and destroy the assassin, Your Highness," he said gravely. "The moment I am able to stand against him, I will make sure he does not threaten you again."

Zelda inclined her head in acknowledgment. "I thank you, Hero. I know you will do your best."

His expression brightened slightly at this, and Zelda let the smile that had been trying to emerge since she had first seen Link again through a little, in hopes of encouraging him to do the same.

A soft tapping announced the entrance of a positively ancient Goron, bent with age and leaning on a cane. Zelda had no idea how long Gorons lived, but she was sure they were in the presence of a being who had been alive for centuries, if not millennia. His skin was the tan of sandstone, but webbed with innumerable wrinkles, looking almost like cracks in an edifice.

"I am Gor Ignus," he announced in a surprisingly strong voice, looking over at them with intelligent brown eyes. "I understand you wish for me to relate to you part of our history?"

Zelda thought to herself that anything he said had to be reliable, because he was old enough to have witnessed most of history first-hand.

Link bowed his head respectfully in greeting to the elder. "Yes, I wish to know what items of power your people guard that might let me stand against the assassin who is after the prince and princess." He quickly described his fight with the Sorcerer, and the ancient Goron's craggy brows rose in interest when Link mentioned the lightning strike.

"Ah," Ignus said, a thoughtful expression on his wrinkled face. "I know just what you should seek, young warrior. Long ago, in the dawn age of the world, a great war was fought between the Golden Goddesses and the forces of evil, and many items of staggering power were fashioned by both sides in hopes of giving themselves the advantage. The sacred Master Sword was one of these, said to have been wielded by Din herself against her enemies. Another item, one that will surely interest you, is a weapon that the enemy forged for themselves; a staff capable of unleashing great blasts of lightning."

Ignus paused for a moment, and Link leaned forward in his chair slightly, obviously interested.

The Goron elder continued. "Upon the defeat of the enemy, their weapons were seized so that they would not fall into the hands of mortals, who did not possess sufficient power to control many of them. The Staff of Lightning was one of these, and instead of destroying it, the Goddesses in their wisdom decided to hide it and the other weapons away for the day when their servants, the Heroes, would have need of them."

He gestured at Link with the tip of his cane. "You, young warrior, must seek the Staff of Lightning. It was hidden deep within a temple, full of many dangers to keep those who were not worthy of wielding it away. The Goron people were entrusted with its location, and only one with our strength can open the entrance."

At this, the Patriarch, who had been standing silently behind the Goron elder, turned and beckoned one of the other Gorons in the chamber forward. "This is Dar," the Goron leader rumbled. "He knows the location of the temple, and he will accompany you there."

"Hello again, young warrior!" Dar said cheerfully, slapping Link on the back when he moved to stand next to him. Link stumbled a little, surreptitiously using the back of the chair he had been sitting in to keep from falling over. Zelda smiled slightly in sympathy; she'd been on the receiving end of a few enthusiastic Goron greetings herself, though they were undoubtedly a little gentler with her.

Gor Ignus placed a gnarled hand on Link's shoulder. Zelda noticed he was of a height with Link, which made him somewhat short for a Goron. "You must stay with us here tonight," the elder said. "The temple is far from here, and the journey is not an easy one. You would be better off beginning your journey with a night's rest and a full stomach."

"Thank you," said Link.

"Come," said the Patriarch. "Some of us have become adept at making human food, so you must tell us what you think. I still prefer a nice rock sirloin myself, but…"

He continued talking to the Hero as they made their way out of the room, and Zelda smiled to herself again as she and Gareth followed.

--

* * *

--

Majacen met the other man's eyes with a determined glare, his sword held in both hands in front of him. "I know what you are and who you serve, creature," he said derisively, "and you will not pursue your prey any longer."

"Out of my way, old man," the Sorcerer replied. His voice had once been deep, but now had an almost thin, slightly echoing quality to it, and was an unnatural and unusual sound.

The wizard had sensed the Sorcerer teleporting away from his duel with Link, and now he had tracked the servant of the Enemy here to the top of a cliff near Death Mountain. The wind was fierce at this altitude, and the hot wind flowing from the volcano sent both men's cloaks and robes flapping and fluttering around them, toying with Majacen's long hair and beard as he faced down the man who had assassinated most of the Hylian Royal Family.

Ordinarily, the wizard would have left any confrontations with this monster to the Hero, but once he had sensed the Sorcerer in the vicinity of Death Mountain, he had known he had to do something. If he could not destroy the creature in this encounter, he would at least keep him from discovering that his quarry was nearby.

The Sorcerer favored his right side, and dark blood stained his robe there. He kept one hand pressed to the wound the Hero had inflicted, but the other held his sword, blackened from the lightning strike. Majacen thought the Sorcerer had come to this secluded spot to recover from his fight with Link, since if the monster knew the royals were nearby, he would likely have begun his attack already.

The swirling wind made a lock of long black hair blow in front of Majacen's eyes momentarily, and his enemy took advantage of this to surge forward, a blast of magic charging in one hand while he slashed with his sword.

Majacen raised his sword to block the strike, and took one hand off his weapon to send a wave of concussive force blasting at his foe. The invisible shockwave twisted the Sorcerer half around, and the blast he had been charging pulverized a nearby rock formation instead.

The Sorcerer turned with the blast to build momentum in his sword, and he pushed himself free of the ground to jump in a spinning slash at the wizard, his sword gleaming in the moonlight.

Majacen poured power into his sword, and the blade began to glow with a bright white light. When the Sorcerer drew closer, Majacen raised his sword to intercept the spinning slash and the resultant discharge of energy blasted the Sorcerer backwards and off his feet, stumbling over a crack in the rock to topple onto his back.

The wizard pushed himself forward, sword outstretched before him as he sought to reach his foe before the creature could get to his feet. The Sorcerer managed to bring his sword up to intercept Majacen's overhand slash, and he responded with his own blast of concussive force, one that knocked the wizard several yards away.

Majacen managed to stay on his feet as he landed, and he flung his sword arm out to the side as he steadied himself, sending another charge of energy into the blade and making it glow again.

"You are weak, wizard!" the Sorcerer sneered, slowly getting to his feet. "Just like those you serve!"

Majacen brought his powerfully glowing sword into a guard position in front of himself. "Your master is deluding himself," he said, closely watching his enemy's movements. "He was defeated once before, and he will continue to be defeated by those like the one who gave you that wound," he gestured at the Sorcerer's side with the tip of his sword, "and those like me, until he is finally destroyed."

"My master is a god!" the Sorcerer said in his eerie, ghostly voice. "He cannot be destroyed, and he will claim his rightful position over the corpses of those who gave you your power."

Majacen did not reply, focusing instead on building up more power in the blade of his sword. With a sudden movement, the Sorcerer feinted left but brought his sword around in a powerful slash, hoping to catch Majacen off guard.

The wizard had lived past the normal lifespan of most mortals already, and his long decades of experience allowed him to see through the Sorcerer's feint and move into position to block the slash, discharging the power in his sword once their blades connected.

The pure energy flooded into the Sorcerer, and he shrieked in pain as he was blasted backwards into a boulder, actually cracking it with the force of his impact.

Majacen pressed forward, not allowing his enemy time to recover, and sent three consecutive concussive blasts at the Sorcerer, the first cracking the boulder even more so that a large chunk broke off and fell at the wizard's foe, the second knocking the Sorcerer into the path of the falling chunk of stone, and the third sweeping his feet out from underneath him.

As planned, the man-sized chunk of stone landed on the Sorcerer, but some sort of protection surrounded him, and the intended hammer shattered over the Sorcerer's prone form instead of crushing him.

Moving with surprising quickness, the Sorcerer leaped to his feet and telekinetically seized a dozen of the fragments of stone that lay scattered about him, sending them at Majacen in a deadly hail while he leaped in for a blur of strikes, moving so quickly that the wizard barely managed to keep his sword in his hand under the onslaught.

Several of the chunks of stone found their way through his defense, and one gashed his temple as another struck his knee. Majacen moved his sword through a furious defensive pattern, trying to keep the Sorcerer's deadly blade away from him as he tried to dodge the other chunks of stone.

More missiles found their way though, and Majacen's sword clattered to the rocky ground below as one sharp chunk impacted solidly with his wrist. Grinning savagely beneath his hood, the Sorcerer loosed a blast of concussive force and knocked the wizard backwards, off-balance, and before he could recover the Sorcerer sent out another wave of force, toppling Majacen over the edge of the cliff.

As he tumbled, Majacen managed to grab onto a tiny ledge several feet below the edge of the cliff, seizing a small, scraggly shrub with all his strength as his feet swung desperately beneath him.

The Sorcerer stepped to the edge of the cliff, sneering down at the wizard as he charged a ball of orange energy in his palm.

Majacen allowed his eyes to fall half-closed, concentrating furiously to build up the necessary energy before his enemy could finish charging his blast. Dark clouds swirled overhead, rapidly drawing together above the combatants. The air began to tingle with pent-up energy, and the Sorcerer looked up suspiciously at the clouds.

His eyes grew wide beneath his hood, and he dove out of the way just in time to avoid being hit by a lance of jagged purple-white energy, the thunder from its impact threatening to deafen both of them. The shockwave loosened Majacen's grip on the ledge, and he scrambled to pull himself up, finally finding purchase with his boots to push himself up into a more secure position.

Concentrating further, Majacen drew another chain of lightning strikes down out of the clouds at his foe, and the Sorcerer somehow managed to avoid them all.

With a final sneer, the Sorcerer sent a lance of energy at Majacen's handhold and transported himself away, disappearing as the wizard fell another few yards, seizing hold of another hardy shrub with both hands to halt his tumble.

Since he was now free of other distractions, Majacen gathered energy and transported himself back up to the top of the cliff, sighing in frustration as he saw that his enemy was gone and had somehow managed to disguise his destination as he teleported. There was no way to know where he had gone now.

Majacen picked up his sword from where it lay nearby and sheathed it, frowning. Despite his best efforts, the Sorcerer had managed to escape the death he so rightly deserved twice in one day, again free to come after Link and the two remaining royals he protected. At least the monster had not learned that the prince and princess were with the Gorons, which was an admittedly small victory.

The wizard dusted himself off and began his preparations to return to Castle Town and resume his hunt for the Sorcerer. Majacen was now determined; the assassin would meet his end the next time he met either himself or Link. He would devote all his time and resources now to making sure both of them were ready.

--

* * *

--

"I think you're going to have to leave him here, Little Brother."

Link looked over at his Goron companion, whose face was only a few inches below his, even though the young warrior was atop his horse.

The Hero reached forward to pat Khamsin's shoulder, looking up at the forbidding terrain ahead of them. Huge crags rose on all sides, as if they were giant sentinels who long ago turned to stone, but still kept a watchful eye on the entrance to the Temple of Lightning.

The two of them had come almost to the northern border of Hyrule, within sight of Zora's Domain and the Snowpeak Mountains beyond. Dar was right; the terrain ahead was too severe to attempt anything other than a hike on foot, and even then, Link would have to rely on Dar in places.

"What should I do with him?" Link asked his companion. "There are monsters around; I don't want to just leave him here."

Dar frowned thoughtfully, and then his wide face split into a grin. "I'll ask the Zoras, Little Brother. They take care of travelers' horses all the time, especially adventurers looking to explore one of the old temples around here." He hopped from one foot to the other, a comical image for something of his size. "You go ahead and start up the mountain, Little Brother. I'll be right back."

With that, Dar rolled himself into a ball and careened off down the canyon, bouncing off the walls and generally appearing to have a good time. Link smiled to himself. Gorons were generally pretty happy most of the time; he didn't think he'd ever seen one sad. Angry, he didn't want to see; an angry Goron was probably an unstoppable one, and something even the Hero didn't want to face off against.

Shrugging under his cloak and listening to his equipment rattle, Link dismounted and looked up at the forbidding rock face, wondering if there was really a temple hidden inside the mountain. It was certainly big enough; only Death Mountain and those in the Snowpeak range were bigger. It seemed a perpetual thundercloud hung over the tip, striking it repeatedly with lightning.

Link adjusted the various buckles on his equipment one last time and stretched up for the nearest hand-hold, searching for a foot-hold next. For the next half hour, he made his way up the mountain, almost painfully slowly from the dearth of good places to put his hands and feet. He nearly fell twice, and by the time he had gotten high up enough that a fall would at least injure if not kill him, he discovered that the rock face was smooth for the rest of the ascent, with no door visible. The mountain just kept going, stretching far overhead.

Muscles straining, Link tried to pull himself up another few inches, but the tiny crevices and ledges on which he was perched were only an inch or two wide, and remaining still was quickly taxing his strength.

Fortunately, it was then that he heard a deep voice humming merrily and a succession of thumps and breaking rock. In seconds, Dar came into view, pounding hand- and foot-holds into the rock face for himself. He grinned at Link as he passed the young warrior and kept going, making more progress in a minute than Link had made in his entire climb.

Link shook his head amusedly. _Good thing he's with me,_ he thought.

Grunting, Link moved over to the Goron's path and followed the rock-man the rest of the way up the mountain, dodging rock debris and attempting to figure out what tune Dar was humming, if any.

Finally, after another ten minutes of climbing, the sheer rock face gave way to a wide ledge with a darkened opening at one end, set into the cliff beyond. The two of them stopped for a rest break, and Link broke out his canteen, drinking nearly half its contents in one gulp.

"This is the temple, Little Brother," Dar said, walking over to the opening. Link thought it looked like the entrance to some huge animal's lair.

As Link watched, Dar walked into the opening and quickly disappeared in the blackness. The Hero heard several loud thumps and a deep grunt of effort, followed by the sound of sliding stone and something metal grinding against something else. After a few moments Dar reappeared, beckoning him closer.

"The way is open, Little Brother," Dar said, grinning broadly. "Let's go."

Steeling himself, Link got to his feet and followed his Goron companion through the doorway, wondering what awaited him inside.

--

* * *

--

Author's Note: This took a little longer to finish than I had hoped, partially due to finals and partially due to some flu-ish thing that I'm just now getting over. I'm still working on the 'Missing Pieces' entry I mentioned in the last chapter, so that won't be up for a little while. I have already started on the next chapter of this story, however, so it should be up before too long. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to check out the art based on my stories, which you can find in the Favorites section of my DeviantArt account.


	5. The Temple of Lightning

Five

Barely three steps into the Temple of Lightning, Link was nearly incinerated.

As he followed his Goron companion Dar into the temple, the young warrior looked around. The first room of the ancient temple was long and wide, the ceiling stretching far overhead to vanish into blackness. Electricity crackled along a few places on the wall, occasionally arcing across the room to zap the opposite wall. As Link looked at the walls, mostly carved stone with metal rails running in seemingly random directions as if made by some kind of crazed spider, he noticed that the electricity ran along the metal rails, discharging at certain points to strike small circular metal plates also mounted in seemingly random places.

A moment's tingling on the back of his neck alerted Link to something dangerous nearby, and he felt a brief charge in the air before he realized he was standing on a circular metal plate. Suddenly, Dar stepped on the plate and shoved Link out of the way, taking the charge himself. A long purple-white bolt of energy erupted from the wall above to strike the thick rocky shell on Dar's back, snaking down to discharge into the metal plate. Link's head rang from the loud noise the discharge had made, and the first few words of something Dar said to him were drowned out.

"…you step, Little Brother. Your skin isn't tough enough to take a lightning strike like that." The Goron thumped his chest. "It's not even a tickle for me, but you should be more careful."

"No problem," Link replied, making sure he was standing on stone.

The temple was lit by occasional torches mounted on the wall, which Link suspected to be of the magical ever-burning variety. Otherwise, it was dim, and only occasional flashes of electricity provided illumination. The architecture was simple but elegant, scrollwork lining the bottom of the wall just above the floor and occasional jagged, lightning-like lines carved into the walls beneath the network of metal rails. It was not a particularly threatening place -aside from the danger of being electrocuted- and obviously whoever had built the temple had put quite a bit of effort into it. A sharp tang of ozone hung in the air, renewed with each crackle of electricity. The predominant color was gray, since the stone was not painted, and the metal rails were a dull silvery color and nonreflective. It felt _old_, and though the architecture was vaguely recognizable as Hylian, the style was lost in antiquity. The place felt like no one had set foot inside for a very long time, hundreds or perhaps thousands of years.

"I hope there's a map," Dar said, flexing his massive shoulders as he craned his head to look up. "This place is very big, Little Brother."

Link nodded in agreement. "We should move quickly. I have no idea where the Staff of Lightning is, so keep an eye out for clues."

Dar squinted at something and stomped off ahead, his heavy footsteps clanging off the metal plates on the floor whenever he stepped on one. He stopped at a section of wall about halfway down the long, wide entrance hall and waved Link over.

The Hero walked over to the Goron's side and peered at the carving the enormous rock-man pointed at, grinning.

"Something like this, Little Brother?" he asked, stepping aside to let Link get a better look.

The young warrior nodded, examining the carving. It depicted a long staff capped with a ball at one end and carved with multiple jagged lines resting on a low pedestal, some kind of vaguely humanoid figure standing in front of it, though Link couldn't tell if it was approaching the staff or guarding it. Was this a warning about the staff's guardian? If the Goddesses or their servants had hidden the Staff of Lightning away in this temple, they had almost certainly placed a number of protective measures in the way to thwart anyone who attempted to retrieve it. Anyone except a Hero, hopefully.

"Let's keep moving," Link said, indicating the door at the end of the hall. Dar nodded once and moved off, stopping in front of the relatively simple metal door.

A loud _zap_ announced Dar's attempt to raise the door, his enormous hands wedged under the bottom "Ouch!" the Goron exclaimed, shaking his hand. "It's electrified, Little Brother!"

Dar gave the door an irritated kick, then yelped and grabbed his foot as it was zapped, also. Link resisted the urge to laugh, but a smile fought its way through anyway. Dar gave him a sheepish look, stepping back from the door.

"Not even a tickle, huh?" Link said amusedly.

Dar tapped his shoulder where the rocky shell on his back began. "Not on my back, anyway. My toes are a little more sensitive, I suppose."

Link nodded once, fighting a grin.

Turning back, he studied the door thoughtfully. There had to be some way to open it; a hidden switch, or perhaps something that disabled the charge. He pulled out his bow and tapped the door with it, leaning in for a closer look. Making sure not to touch the door or anything metal next to it, the young warrior examined the door in an attempt to discern how it was electrified.

Putting away his bow, Link pulled out one of his arrows and broke off the metal arrowhead, prodding the wooden end into the slight gap between the door and its frame. He searched for some kind of hidden release or catch, but found nothing. Frowning, Link absently rapped the fletching against the door, tapping out a tune old Ernst would play on his fiddle sometimes. He didn't notice at first, but when the end of his arrow failed to elicit a metallic clang on a few of his taps, the Hero examined the area more closely.

Outwardly, it didn't look any different than the rest of the door, a simple smooth panel of metal, and by tapping the door around it, Link discovered the place that was not metallic was small and roughly circular, about three inches in diameter. He poked it a few more times with the end of his arrow, wondering what it was, and finally he decided to risk touching it with his hand.

Link flexed his fingers once and reached out to touch the odd patch of door with his finger. Experimentally, he brushed the area next to it with his pinky and received a rather severe electric shock that numbed his finger. Link shook his hand and touched the odd patch again. It looked just like the rest of the door, but it didn't feel like metal. It felt more like stone, cold and rough beneath his fingers.

"What are you thinking, Little Brother?" Dar asked, leaning in to look closer at the door.

"This has to be something," Link said, fishing a piece of charcoal out of his pocket that he'd kept from his last fire. Carefully, he marked off the odd patch on the door with it.

Dar frowned, his breathing loud and deep next to Link's head as he thought. He poked the circled area with his finger, then did it again, harder. The only result was a low thump.

"I don't get it," the Goron said finally. "How is this supposed to help us open the door?"

Link held up his arrow and snapped it in half, handing one part to Dar. "See if you can find any more places like this," he said. "The solution must be simple, but I just don't see it."

For the next few minutes, the two of them tapped the door in random places with the pieces of the arrow, finding four more odd patches, which Link marked off with his charcoal.

After finding one last odd patch and marking it off, Link stepped back and looked at his markings. As he suspected, they formed a regular pattern, each about a foot from the other in a large oval that stretched from the top of the door to the bottom.

"So, what does this mean?" Dar asked.

Link did not answer at first, frowning to himself. An arc of electricity hit a metal plate on the floor behind him, and comprehension dawned as the top-most odd patch lit up briefly with a soft purple light. He looked at the series of circular metal plates on the floor, realizing that they formed the same pattern that was on the door.

"It's a puzzle," Link said, turning to look at the floor behind him. "I think that if we can do something to those metal plates, it'll let us through."

Dar laughed. "Good luck controlling lightning, Little Brother. It never strikes in the same place twice."

Link walked over to the array of metal plates on the floor, arranged in a large oval. As he watched, an arc of electricity curved off the wall and struck one of them. Quickly, he turned to look, and the corresponding spot he had marked on the door lit up for a second. As he looked back, he noticed a few tiny fingers of electricity crackle along a short length of metal railing connected to the plate before vanishing over the stone of the floor.

"If all six of these were connected, the charge would be carried through all of them, wouldn't it?" Link asked Dar.

The Goron shrugged. "Probably."

Link looked over at the wall, noticing for the first time that some of the metal rails spread out in a spider-web pattern were not connected to any others. Carefully, he grabbed one, about six feet long, and pulled it off the wall, one end of the long metal rod clanging off the stone as it dropped.

"I hate puzzles," he muttered to himself as he carried the rod over to the nearest metal plate.

Watching out for lightning, Link held the rod between the plate and the nearest one in the sequence. Again as he had suspected, it was the perfect length to connect them, and as he knelt, Link noticed a shallow groove in the stone floor in a straight line between the two plates.

"Hey," he said to Dar, holding up the length of pipe, "look for more of these, not connected to any of the other rails."

The Goron nodded and moved off to search the walls, humming to himself in his deep voice. Link knelt down and carefully laid the metal rod into the groove in the floor, fitting one end into a hole in one of the metal plates. When he laid the other end down, he was able to shift it into a corresponding hole in the other metal plate.

Dar quickly located several more rods, and, working together, they fit them into the grooves connecting the metal plates in the floor together. Dar ran over to the door when he was finished and waited next to it, watching for another arc of electricity.

When one finally came, leaping out from the wall to connect with one of the plates on the far left side of the hall, both of them eagerly looked to the door.

In rapid succession, the places Link had marked lit up with a soft purple light, and once they had all lit up, all of the lights blinked twice and stayed on, glowing softly behind Link's charcoal markings.

Dar tentatively prodded the door with his toe, and when nothing happened, he seized the bottom edge of the door and heaved it open, revealing a long, narrow hallway beyond decorated with more of the metal railing webbed over the walls. Link used a spare rod to prop the door open and the two of them set off down the hallway, hoping they didn't encounter many more puzzles of this kind further inside the temple.

--

* * *

--

Unfortunately, the temple was riddled with puzzles, and Link and Dar spent almost the entire rest of the day attempting to navigate the twisting corridors of the Temple of Lightning. Most of the temple appeared to be long, occasionally curving hallways, and whenever they encountered a larger room, the Hero and his Goron companion were required to solve a puzzle to leave it, which, with some of the more complicated ones, required an hour or more.

Most of the puzzles involved channeling the electricity that crackled along the ever-present metal webbing in some way, and by the time they were ready to rest, both Link and Dar had been shocked numerous times, though the Goron shrugged most of his off. Link had a few burns on his hands, and he treated these as best he could when they stopped for the day.

They were in the one bare chamber they had encountered so far, absent of any feature except the sole door that led back out into the larger chamber they had stopped in. Link was unsure what purpose the chamber served, but at that point, he really didn't care and was glad to find a place to sleep that was free from the constant crackle of electricity.

"I'll take the first watch, Little Brother," said Dar. He stomped off to sit next to the entrance, and Link tiredly pulled off his green tunic and shirt of chain-mail, rolling up the former to serve as a pillow.

He stretched out next to the pile of equipment he had taken off after unsheathing his sword and laying it next to him, quickly falling asleep.

--

* * *

--

_Link moved down the long tunnel of stone, his sword in hand. The world around him was at times blurry and indistinct, and his footsteps echoed strangely. The tunnel was endless, stretching off into darkness in both directions, and he was unsure of which way to go. He knew he had to go somewhere, but the harder he thought about it, the more it slipped away._

_A high-pitched scream of utter terror ripped through the tunnel, and the Hero raised his sword, sprinting at top speed for the source of the scream. Someone was in terrible danger, and he had to save them; he was the Hero, and it was his duty to help anyone who was in trouble._

_The voice screamed again, sounding in pain this time. "Help me!" the voice pleaded, and Link's blood froze as he recognized it._

"_Zelda?" he said aloud._

"_Link!" the princess' disembodied voice said hopefully. "Help me! He's here, Link. He's _here_ and he's hurting us!" _

"_I'm coming!" Link said, forcing his legs to increase speed as he ran for the source of Zelda's voice._

_Another voice screamed in agony behind him, and Link stopped. He began to reverse direction, but another bone-chilling wail of fear and pain echoed down the tunnel from the other direction. He was torn, not knowing which way to go, and as both voices screamed again, he let out a frustrated shout._

"_Help me!" one voice begged. _

_Link ran for it, but his feet moved very slowly, as if he were wearing boots made of lead. The faster he tried to run, the slower he moved._

"_No! No, get away!" the other voice pleaded, full of terror._

_Link tried to move, but to his horror, his feet actually began to sink into the stone floor. He strained with all his might to free his feet, but struggling only made him sink quicker, and soon he was knee-deep in the unyielding stone, unable to move._

"_Help us!" _

_Link strained with superhuman effort, but all he succeeded in doing was sinking up to his chest in the stone._

"_Help us!"_

_The Hero marshaled his strength and yelled with effort as he flexed his muscles and clawed his way up. The stone let him go briefly, and his heart soared with hope as he dashed a few steps along the tunnel, but something tripped him and he tumbled into another soft spot in the tunnel floor. In seconds, he had sunk in up to his neck, and the stone hardened around him, an oppressive crushing grip._

"_Help us!"_

_A third voice laughed darkly, full of malevolent, sadistic amusement. Both voices wailed in heart-wrenching inarticulate pleas for help, but the dark voice only laughed louder, drowning them out. Link struggled violently, but the stone pulled him under, and as it closed over his head, he heard the dark voice cackling in triumph._

"_Too late."_

_  
--

* * *

--  
_

Link jolted awake, breathing heavily. He looked around the small, square chamber of gray stone for Dar, but the Goron was gone and the door was open. As Link calmed down, he heard heavy footsteps moving around outside and a deep voice humming.

Link stood and moved around a little, trying to shake off the nightmare. As he flexed his shoulders, he looked up at the bare stone ceiling.

_What am I doing here?_ he thought to himself. _I'm not a Hero. I'm a dishwasher in a tavern!_

Two weeks ago, Link had been just another ordinary citizen of Hyrule, a young man trying to decide what to do with his life. His grandest dream of adventure was to fight in defense of his country in a far-off land, to spend a few years in the army before taking off on a journey to seek his fortune. He'd always admired the traveling adventurers who visited Ernst's tavern, men who lived by the sword and answered to no one but themselves, exploring exciting old ruins in search of priceless treasure.

Of course, there was another side to the adventurer life, as Ernst had explained one day when Link expressed a desire to take up the traveling life.

"_Yes, traveling and fighting must be a lot of fun," Ernst said, a smile beneath his bushy gray beard. "So must sleeping out in the open with one eye open and one hand on your sword. It's weeks between settlements sometimes, so it must also be fun to chase down anything you can catch and kill it, hoping another animal doesn't beat you to it or choose you as its prey instead. And then there's storms. Supposing you can't find shelter and you have to sleep out in a rainstorm. You get sick, too bad, because you're all alone and your fellow traveling rogues sure as damn aren't going to help you out. They'll just wait 'til you die and go through your pockets for any bits of treasure you might have found."_

Link half-smiled ironically to himself as he realized that he'd more or less taken up the life of a traveling adventurer anyway, only his purpose wasn't just to serve his own interests. His smile slowly faded as he thought about his purpose, his course in life. His life had changed forever at the moment he'd decided to tackle Princess Zelda out of the way of the Sorcerer's blast, and there was no going back now.

He looked down at the back of his left hand, at the dark triangular marking there, and he touched the bottom right triangle, the one that represented Courage, the fragment of the Triforce that resided within him. This marking, he thought, signified that his life was no longer his own; his responsibility was to keep the prince and princess safe, and until he destroyed the Sorcerer, he had no other objectives or priorities.

His sense of purpose renewed, Link moved off to put his equipment back on; he wouldn't be sleeping for the rest of the night, anyway, so he might as well start off again. The sooner he retrieved the Staff of Lightning, the sooner he could practice in its use so that he could stand up to the Sorcerer and destroy the assassin once and for all.

--

* * *

--

"Now what in the world are we supposed to do?" Link asked his Goron companion.

Dar shrugged his massive shoulders. "I don't know, Little Brother. I'm not even sure how to start."

After several more hours of walking along the endless narrow hallways and solving more puzzles in the wide, long halls, the two of them were confronted with yet another puzzle, in the form of one giant metal plate on the floor inscribed with lightning designs and no clear way to electrify it.

The walls of the rectangular chamber were covered with the web of metal rails, as usual, but none of them appeared to be removable. Electricity still crackled along the web, arcing overhead every few minutes, but it never curved down to strike the metal plate in the center of the room.

A cautious test by Dar proved that the exit to the room was indeed electrified, so they would have to solve this puzzle to open it.

Link walked around the perimeter of the large metal plate, about six feet in circumference, and examined it for any hint of some place where he was supposed to connect something. When he found nothing, he kicked the raised edge in frustration, eliciting a deep _clang_.

"Blasted puzzles," he muttered to himself. "This had better be worth it."

Dar chuckled, his deep voice echoing off of the high ceilings. "What if the staff isn't even here, Little Brother?"

Link laughed. "Don't even say that," he said, pointing at his friend. "I don't think I'll be able to deal with having spent two days in this place for nothing."

Dar laughed and kicked the metal plate, and to their surprise, it moved. Frowning thoughtfully, Dar kicked the plate again, and the edge he had kicked dipped slightly, while the opposite edge tilted up.

An idea struck Link, and he asked Dar to stomp on the edge of the plate as hard as he could. Next, the plate struck Link, as he had not correctly predicted how hard a Goron could stomp, and the edge of the plate leaped up faster than he expected and clipped him on the chin.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, stepping back as he rubbed his chin. Dar laughed uproariously, and this did not help to dull the pain.

Making sure to stay back, Link gestured for Dar to stomp on the plate again, and when the edge leaped up, Link caught it and held it up. As he had suspected, it sat in a hemispherical depression set into the floor, smooth and featureless. He looked left and right and discovered that the large metal plate was mounted to the edges of the depression, and would probably spin if he moved it fast enough. He tested the weight and frowned; this plate was probably too heavy for him to spin all the way around.

But luckily, he had a prodigiously strong Goron with him.

Link waved Dar over. "Spin this as hard as you can," he said, taking a step back as Dar grabbed the edge of the plate.

"You got it, Little Brother!" Dar boomed. Lifting the edge of the plate high over his head, the Goron pushed it down with incredible force, causing it to flip entirely over and keep going at a high rate of speed.

As Link watched, a dull purple light lit up on the door, and he sprinted for it before the plate could stop spinning. Dar ran with him, and together they heaved the door open. Link looked for something to prop the door open with, as they had done with all the rest of the doors, but he saw nothing. When Dar realized this, he grabbed hold of the bottom edge of the door and grunted with effort as he bent it, permanently wedging it open. Link shook his head and smiled; the door was solid metal, four inches thick.

--

* * *

--

After another two hours, it finally appeared that they'd reached the end. Ahead of them, at the far end of yet another long rectangular room, was a door which took up most of the wall it occupied, heavily inscribed with ominous-looking lightning patterns. Dar poked it with his toe, and it was not electrified, so he seized the bottom edge and heaved it open.

Link drew his sword and stepped inside, his shield held at the ready to deflect any booby traps. He heard Dar cracking his knuckles behind him, sounding like breaking rock.

Ahead of them was an enormous circular room mostly filled with a pool of deep water that took up all of the floor space except for a narrow strip of solid stone around the chamber's edge. Several rings of floating wooden rafts lined the pool, close enough together to step on. At the very center of the room sat an altar, on which rested a bluish-purple staff, about five feet long and capped at one end with a golden metal ball. As they drew closer, on the lookout for traps, Link saw that the staff was inscribed with jagged lightning patterns, and he knew it was what he had come here to seek.

When he was only a few steps away from laying hands on the Staff of Lightning, Link paused at a suspicious-sounding gurgle. He glanced behind him, but saw nothing but Dar and the walls of the chamber, decorated with lightning patterns.

When he turned back, an enormous purple tentacle had wrapped protectively around the altar, belonging to what had to be a gigantic creature.

Link scowled. "Figures."

Suddenly, a dozen more tentacles erupted from the pool and lashed out at them, sending water spraying in all directions. Link dove out of the way of a lashing tentacle, hissing a curse as it demolished the raft he had been standing on.

Dar punched a tentacle with enough force to demolish a boulder, sending it back beneath the water with a tremendous splash. He hopped to another raft, making it rock with the force of his landing, and yelped in surprise as three more tentacles smashed the raft he had been standing on into smithereens.

"The staff, Little Brother!" he bellowed, dodging another swing from a tentacle, this one tipped with a razor-sharp claw. The claw swept in closer, but Dar grabbed it where it met the tentacle and wrenched it off, resulting in a muffled howl from under the water and several large bubbles splashing to the surface. The injured tentacle thrashed, and Dar slashed with the claw to drive it away.

Link hopped from raft to raft, dodging tentacles when he could and slapping them away with his sword or shield when he could not. Another scythe-tipped appendage swept in and tried to cut Link's feet out from underneath him. He leaped over it, but another tentacle slapped him on the back and he tumbled forward into the water, fingers instinctively tightening around his weapons.

Underwater, Link saw only a blurry dark shape and a gargantuan orange eye, nearly as wide as he was tall. The eye narrowed and focused on the struggling Hero, and he swam away from it, heaving for breath as he broke the surface, trying to avoid the multitudinous writhing tentacles.

One clanged off his shield, its weapon a knobby growth that resembled a club, and Link slashed at it to drive it away, kicking furiously with his legs to stay afloat.

Another tentacle, ending in a set of three grasping appendages, swept for Link, but a huge hand grabbed it and tied it in a knot with another of the flailing tentacles. Dar's fiercely snarling face appeared between the storm of appendages, and as he hurled the knot aside, he reached out with a gigantic hand to pluck Link from the water, droplets streaming from the young warrior's hair and clothes.

Link wiped his wet hair out of his eyes and turned to Dar. "Thanks!" he said, ducking under another club-tentacle, which Dar punched away from himself.

Without warning, Dar grabbed hold of Link's collar and belt and hurled the Hero at the altar in the center of the pool. Link yelled in surprise and grunted when he landed on the altar, his sword clattering against the stone as he dropped it. Luckily, it stayed on the edge of the tiny stone island, but unluckily, the Staff of Lightning did not, and dropped into the water with a splash.

Link hissed a more vicious curse as he grabbed his sword and sheathed it, securing his shield on his back next. Sucking in a deep breath, Link dove into the water. He forced his eyes to open and looked around for the staff. It was metal, so it would probably sink quickly, and with all these tentacles thrashing around, he had to move fast or it was gone.

The water made things blurry, and sound was distorted, making it hard for him to keep his bearings. Already, his lungs were burning, but he couldn't see the staff and was quickly growing frustrated.

There! He suddenly spied a glint of gold color caught in some kind of plant growing up the side of the stone pillar supporting the altar. Link gave a powerful kick and flew through the water, bubbles streaming from his mouth as he released the breath he had been holding. He forced down the reflex to draw in another, and once he finally seized the Staff of Lightning in his hand, he kicked for the surface.

Something held him back, and he realized that the staff was caught in the weeds covering the stone pillar. Shouting underwater would be difficult, so Link let the staff go and stroked for the surface, where he let loose with his most virulent curse yet upon surfacing and sucking in a deep breath. A tentacle snaked over to investigate the disturbance, but Dar was there to swat it away.

"Do you have it, Little Brother?" Dar said, hopping to the closest surviving raft.

Link shook his head, wiping water out of his eyes. As Dar beat away more tentacles with powerful swings from his fists, Link heaved in another deep breath and dove, thinking to himself that now he at least knew where the staff was.

A gargantuan orange eye met him once he opened his eyes underwater, followed by a set of teeth longer than he was tall and as thick around as Dar. Link frantically swam away from the teeth, kicking for the pillar. The creature's enormous head followed him, and once he had grabbed the staff again he was forced to jump out of the way as a huge set of jaws snapped closed on the pillar, shaking it.

The Staff of Lightning pulled free of the weeds finally, and Link kicked for the surface, his skin crawling as he felt a huge presence just behind him.

As he surfaced, Link was silently grateful that Dar had seen the enormous shadow following the young warrior, for as soon as he broke the water's surface to take a breath, a giant hand grabbed his collar and yanked him out of the way.

With an ear-splitting howl, the creature surfaced and sent huge waves crashing to the outer edges of the pool. Dar kept a firm grip on Link with one arm and an even firmer grip on their raft with the other, and the swell of the wave pushed them to the outer edge of the pool.

As they scrambled for the next raft closer to the edge of the room, Link looked back at the monster, but all he saw were eyes and teeth, and he quickly returned his attention to getting away from it.

Dar grabbed Link around the waist and tossed him to the edge of the pool, where he landed with a wet _clank_ on the narrow ring of stone that encircled the chamber. "Use the staff, Little Brother!" the Goron bellowed, leaping the last few feet to land beside the young warrior.

Half a dozen thrashing tentacles followed them, and Dar shouted fiercely as he smashed them away, using a fragment of one of the rafts as a club. Link busied himself with trying to discharge the Staff of Lightning. There were no buttons or other means of activating it that he saw, only inscribed lines of lightning.

A sudden thought occurred to Link as an image of Majacen popped into his head for no apparent reason. Magic! That was it! He concentrated fiercely on the staff in his hands, and was rewarded when a jagged purple-white lance of lightning erupted from the golden metal ball at the tip, leaping out to strike the chamber wall on the far side. The deafeningly loud blast of thunder that followed it disoriented Link for a moment, but luckily it had done the same for the creature, and the tentacles paused for a few moments as if stunned.

Dar slapped Link on the back, grinning, and this nearly sent the Hero into the water again, but he managed to keep his feet. The grin slowly vanished from the Goron's face, and he wordlessly pointed to the pool.

Link turned back to see the tentacles stirring again, and suddenly more than a dozen of them leaped out of the water at the two adventurers. Almost by reflex, Link discharged the Staff of Lightning again, but he missed the creature entirely and hit the water's surface instead. The thunder nearly knocked Link off his feet, sending stars in front of his eyes, but far more damage was inflicted on the creature. All the energy of the lightning strike had been channeled into the water, electrifying it briefly, and the creature howled under the water.

"That's it!" Link crowed, whipping the staff down into the pool with a splash.

Holding the golden ball underwater, he let loose another blast of lightning, as powerful as he could manage. Electricity crackled over everything in the pool, and sparks erupted from any appendage of the creature not under the surface. Another howl resonated through the chamber, and without pausing, Link sent more lightning into the pool. A few of the tentacles actually erupted with flame before withdrawing beneath the water's surface, and Link took the opportunity to dodge the reflexive writhing of the tentacles closest to him and dash for the door.

Dar followed close behind, and the Goron halted his stride only long enough to heave the door open and shove Link through before actually picking the Hero up and sprinting with him through the room beyond and a good deal of the hallway past it.

When Dar finally set him down, Link sagged against the wall, breathing heavily. A final howl echoed through the hall from the direction of the creature's room, and then all fell silent.

Link grinned tiredly at his friend, and Dar pumped both arms in the air and let out a triumphant bellow that competed with the creature's howling for sheer volume.

The Hero turned his new weapon over in his hands, examining the intricate lightning patterns, and he grinned to himself at the thought of how much power this was capable of unleashing. When he mastered this, the Sorcerer had no chance against him.

He reached over to slap Dar's rocky shoulder. "Let's get out of here," he said.

The Goron laughed. "No argument here, Little Brother."

--

* * *

--

Author's Note: In case you don't have it on alert, I posted a short story written by Seldavia in 'Missing Pieces' yesterday. I recommend that you have finished reading 'The Fourth Piece' first, though, since it has a couple spoilers for the end. In other news, I have also posted a Star Wars oneshot, so go check that out if you're interested. The next chapter of this story is already partially written, so it should be out soon. Thanks for reading!


	6. Tale of Times Past

Six

"Do it again, Little Brother!"

Link sighed and looked over at his Goron companion. "Dar, the Staff of Lightning is not a toy." He hefted the long metal staff anyway, grinning. "Let's find a monster first."

Dar's booming laugh echoed off the small ravine in which the two adventurers were traveling. They were a few hours out from the Temple of Lightning, still in the rocky area of northern Hyrule just south of Zora's Domain.

Link idly drummed his fingers on the horn of his saddle as he looked around for a monster on which to test his new weapon. He'd unleashed a few previous bolts since they had left the temple, and he was certain that the Zoras and the Hyrulian villagers in the area thought a thunderstorm was upon them, which would have seemed strange, since it was a bright, sunny day.

The Hero's stallion Khamsin snorted beneath him, and Dar gave the animal a funny look before imitating the noise. Then it was Link's turn to give his companion a funny look.

Link grinned as he shook his head. Dar could be a little strange sometimes, but he was a good friend and a definite advantage in a fight, as the brawny Goron had proved in their battle with the Staff of Lightning's guardian. The Hero wasn't sure he could have won the battle without him.

Khamsin's ears twitched, and Link looked around, also sensing movement nearby. He tensed his fingers around the staff, raising the golden metal ball that capped one end to point in the direction of the noise he and his mount had heard.

Surprising all three of the travelers, a man in a long robe and cloak stepped out from behind a boulder on the cliff above them and dropped an impossible height before landing lightly on his feet and planting his hands on his hips.

Link tensed for a moment, thinking it was the Sorcerer, but he saw long black hair and a thick beard, and relaxed as he recognized the wizard Majacen. He raised the staff in greeting, spurring his horse forward.

When he drew closer, Link could see the wizard's serious expression, and that the older man had a scrape on his cheek and a gash on his forehead. He brought Khamsin to a halt next to the wizard and dismounted, looking over at Majacen with a concerned expression.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked, gesturing to the wizard's injuries.

Majacen waved a hand dismissively. "It is of no concern, Hero." He pointed to the staff in Link's hand and smiled beneath his thick beard. "I see you were successful, young Link. Was the temple challenging?"

Dar chuckled, and Link glanced over at his friend before nodding. "Very."

Majacen folded his hands inside the long sleeves of his robe. "Good. The defenses were still intact, then." He looked up at the taller Hero. "You and your companion were the first living beings to enter that temple in almost three thousand years."

Dar nodded his massive head. "My people only knew about the defenses in place at the entrance, Little Brother. If I had known more about what was inside, I could have been more helpful."

Link raised the staff. "You were more helpful than you can imagine, Dar. I wouldn't have made it through without you."

The Goron beamed.

Majacen raised a hand and placed it gently on Link's shoulder, next to the feathered ends of the arrows in the quiver on his back. "I came here, young Link, to aid you in your training with the staff. I know a great deal about magic, as you can imagine, and you must learn your new weapon's use very quickly."

The wizard gestured off to the smoldering cone of Death Mountain, just barely visible above the walls of the rocky ravine. "I fought the Sorcerer not long after the last time we spoke, and drove him away from a refuge he sought on the Gorons' mountain. You wounded him grievously, Hero, but he will be quick to recover, and he will resume his quest against your charges as soon as he is able. The Enemy is quick to provide aid to his servants."

Link looked down at the other man curiously. "The Enemy? You mean the Sorcerer has a master?"

Majacen nodded gravely. "Let us find a place to rest, young warrior, and I will tell you something that is for your ears alone. Only the servants of the Goddesses have need to know what I am about to tell you, until the time is right."

Link nodded slowly, reaching back to stow the Staff of Lightning in the magic pocket Zelda had made him.

--

* * *

--

Once they found a small cave in the cliff, Link handed Khamsin's reins to Dar and he and Majacen went inside. The Goron stood guard at the entrance to the cave, and Link heard his low basso rumble several times, talking to the horse or humming to himself.

The wizard moved to the back of the cave and sat down on a low shelf of rock, gesturing to Link to join him. The Hero sat down on another low shelf a few feet away, adjusting his sword on his belt as he sat down.

"So, what is it you have to tell me?" Link asked.

Majacen met his eyes with a grave expression. "It is known by most that in the dawn age of the world, the Great Goddesses fought a terrible war against the forces of evil. The Goron elders likely told you of this when they sent you to the Temple of Lightning, did they not?"

Link nodded. "Gor Ignus told me a little."

"This war," the wizard continued, "was fought between both deities and mortals, the worst conflict creation has yet seen. This part of the tale is known by most, though it is not a story often told. What is not generally known is that the principle antagonist of this conflict was a god, a son of the Goddess Din. The Three Goddesses, after creating the world, had many children, and the foremost of these was Din's eldest son. He had great responsibility, and his task was to help the other Children of the Goddesses guide mortals on the path of life.

"Before the Great War in the heavens, the gods and goddesses were very active in the affairs of mortals, often appearing directly to them as teachers and leaders, since mortals were still young and had not yet learned to think for themselves.

"Din's son saw what his fellow deities were doing, and he began to reason in his heart that their guidance was holding mortals back rather than helping them, for the gods were very doting on their mortal children and did many things for them.

"One day, he saw one of Farore's daughters steer a mortal man away from a woman he had been showing attention to and point him at another woman the goddess liked better. Din's son grew full of anger at this, and confronted his cousin, telling her that it was wrong to deny mortals their free will, that he felt it wrong to control them in the way his fellow gods were doing.

"She argued with him, saying that they were gods and they could do as they liked, and Din's son grew so angry he actually struck Farore's daughter, the first time a god had shown violence against another. The goddess fled in tears to the Goddess Din, who demanded that her son apologize to his sister.

"He refused, saying that she deserved it because of the arrogant way she had been controlling the mortal man. His claim was that the gods were unjust in denying mortals their freedom, and he and his mother argued fiercely on the subject.

"Finally, Din's son left the heavenly palace and descended to the mortal world, where he began controlling mortals himself, commanding them to do the opposite of anything his fellow deities told them. The mortals had a terrible war and all but destroyed themselves, despite the other gods' attempts to intervene, and finally some of the younger gods began to attack Din's eldest son themselves, reasoning that he was the cause of the trouble and if he was removed all could return to peace."

Majacen shook his head slowly. "Even gods can make mistakes, young warrior," he said gravely. "Theirs can be worse, for deities have an effect on everything around them. The other children of the Goddesses treated their brother and cousin as a foe, and did their best to destroy him for what they saw as his wickedness. Some, however, took his side, having been convinced in his public argument with his mother, and the war between the gods was a terrible one that nearly destroyed the mortal world.

"Din's son delved further and further into dark and unnatural powers, trying to find ways to kill his immortal cousins. The Three finally tried to intervene, but Din's eldest would not listen and grew consumed with rage that his mother and aunts would oppose him, taking the side of those who reasoned that direct control was needed over mortals. He swore himself the eternal enemy of his mother and aunts and anyone who took their side, declaring himself a Dark God.

"The Dark God became so powerful that even his mother and her sisters could not defeat him, no matter how hard they tried. But neither could he destroy them, and so an impasse was reached. Finally, after a terrible battle between the Dark God and the Three Goddesses, wise Nayru proposed a truce; she, her sisters, and all other gods would swear to never again directly interfere with mortal-kind if her nephew would cease his war and he and his followers would swear the same oath.

"The Dark God agreed, but added that if any deity ever violated their oath, he would renew his war upon them and would not cease it until all of the mortal realm had been destroyed, for it is not possible to destroy the divine.

"Eventually, as the mortals made more and more mistakes, fighting with each other more and more often, the younger gods begged their mothers to let them go down to the mortal realm and stop the mortals from fighting. The Three Goddesses were pained and wanted to help, but they could not violate their oath. But, Nayru, in her wisdom, discovered a way around the restriction; if they used mortal agents, they could still declare their will to the mortal people, but the element of choice would be involved, since the agent could choose whether or not to deliver the message and the people could choose whether or not to do as the agent said."

Majacen paused there for a moment, and Link furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why are you telling me all this?" he asked. "What does this have to do with my quest?"

The wizard shifted slightly on his stone seat. "All will become clear in a moment, young Hero. Allow me to continue." He gestured to himself. "I am one of these agents, in a long tradition spanning thousands of years. My task is to travel the world and help guide mortals on the path the Goddesses wish for them to take to prosperity and peace."

Majacen next pointed at Link. "You are also an agent, young warrior. Your task is to protect the Goddesses' chosen land, Hyrule, from any who would threaten it. To some extent, Princess Zelda is an agent as well, in that her bearing of the Triforce of Wisdom will help her to rule this country with a fair and discerning hand."

Link leaned forward slightly, about to ask another question, but Majacen held up a hand to indicate he wasn't finished.

"The Dark God also makes use of agents, young Link, though few who do not serve the Golden Goddesses know this. Over the ages, the Dark God has shrouded himself in mystery and secrecy, so much so that mortals believe him mostly myth, if they know of him at all. This is all the better for him, for he prefers to operate from the shadows. He sends his agents to attempt to counteract his mother and aunts' efforts, trying to foil them wherever he can out of spite."

Majacen leaned forward and met Link's eyes. "The Sorcerer is an agent of the Dark God, young Link. His task is to destroy the Nohansen bloodline so as to throw Hyrule into confusion. The Dark God is a disciple of chaos, spreading disorder however he can, and he especially wishes to disrupt his mother and aunts' chosen land, the place of their favor."

Link remained silent for a long moment as he mulled this new information over in his mind. It made sense to him, but he was curious about one thing. "What is the Dark God's name?" he asked. "I don't think you ever told me what it is."

"That is because I do not know it, young warrior," Majacen replied. "I do not know the name his mother gave him, for Din deemed him unfit to bear it and stripped it from him when he turned against her and her sisters. If he has given himself a new name to replace it, he has not told anyone who could tell me. I know him only as the Dark God and the Enemy."

Link absorbed this thoughtfully and moved on to his next question. "If this is a secret among the Goddesses' servants, why tell me? Do I need to know more about this Dark God so I can fight him?"

Majacen nodded. "To an extent; you will be working against him now that you know, but the task of battling him will not fall to you. That is a task another must take up, and I tell you this so that you may aid me in making preparations for the quest of that Hero. That quest will be a terrible one, and that future Hero will need all the assistance we can provide." The wizard stood. "But, that is a discussion for another time. What you need to know now is how to control the Staff of Lightning so that you may battle the Sorcerer on more equal terms. Your duty is to ensure the Royal Family's survival so that they may remain the rulers of this country for many centuries yet; the Nohansen dynasty has a large role to play in the grand tapestry of the future."

Link produced the staff and held it in both hands before him. "I'm ready to learn, Majacen," he said determinedly. "Please, teach me."

The wizard patted the young Hero on the shoulder in a grandfatherly sort of way. "It will not be easy, young one. Magic can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, and your new weapon is very powerful. You will have to learn very precise control if you want to keep yourself from hurting your friends as well as your enemies with the staff."

Majacen gestured to the entrance of the cave. "We will begin immediately."

--

* * *

--

Zelda narrowed her eyes in concentration, searching for the telltale ripples in the surrounding energy that would show her where her brother was hiding.

Gareth was practicing an invisibility spell one of their Sheikah bodyguards had taught him a few years ago, one that he'd been having trouble with. Zelda was using her own senses to attempt to find him, while he tried as hard as he could to mask his presence. It was a difficult technique, but a necessary one, as they would have use for it against an assassin wielding magic.

Magic users could sense one another, Zelda remembered from her childhood training. The use of magic created ripples in the fabric of the universe, and a skilled magic user could detect these ripples to sense what sort of magic was being used nearby. Supposedly, the most powerful sorcerers and wizards could track another magic user from thousands of miles away, assuming they could determine the other's particular signature.

The princess extended her perceptions, searching for her brother's signature, and received a faint impression from further down the long, dark stone tunnel, carved out by lava centuries ago and now used as a passageway to the sacred Goron Mines deep within their volcanic home.

As she neared the impression, Zelda smiled triumphantly. Yes, Gareth was nearby; she could sense his excitement as he crouched behind a rocky outcropping partially blocking the tunnel.

She primed a light shock, barely a tickle, and prepared to hurl the small magic missile at her brother as soon as she surged around the outcropping. Hearing only the almost imperceptible noise of her own footsteps, Zelda quietly crept up to the outcropping and prepared to jump around the edge.

But, surprising her so badly that her prepared magic missile slipped out of her control and harmlessly bounced off the tunnel wall, a small hand reached out and grabbed hold of her arm from behind.

Laughing, Gareth dispelled his invisibility as his sister frowned amusedly. "I've been following you two steps behind for three minutes!" he exulted. "You never sensed a thing!"

Zelda laughed lightly. "You have definitely improved, Gareth. Tell me, how did you make me think you were on the other side of the rock?"

The younger royal grinned impishly. "I _was_ over there. I relaxed the spell enough for you to sense me, and once you were on your way over there, I brought it back up to full strength and snuck around behind you."

Zelda smiled proudly. "A masterful gambit, Gareth. You win this round."

Her brother grinned again as he reached up to brush some of his golden hair out of his eyes. "Oh, good. I only need to win a few dozen more and we'll be even."

The future ruler of Hyrule laughed as she put her arm around her brother's shoulders and turned to go back to where their protectors waited.

* * *

As they neared the council room, outside the passage to the mines, Zelda heard the deep voices of several Gorons talking, occasionally joined by a distinctly human voice. After a few phrases, Zelda recognized Link's voice and she and her brother quickened their pace.

They emerged from the tunnel to find Link and Dar talking with the Patriarch and Gor Ignus, the latter turning a long metal staff over in his hands in careful examination. Dar was excitedly telling the Patriarch about his and Link's adventures in the Temple of Lightning, and Zelda caught the last part of the story, describing a battle with a huge many-tentacled monster.

Link was the first to notice the two royals emerging from the tunnel, and he greeted them with a warm smile. Gareth bounded out of the tunnel and immediately demanded that Link tell him the full extent of what had happened to him while he was away, to which the Hero cheerfully agreed. The three Hylians sat down in the small bleachers overlooking the sumo ring, while the Gorons continued to talk over the Staff of Lightning.

Several minutes later, once he was finished with his story, Zelda asked to see the Staff of Lightning, and Gor Ignus brought it over.

Carefully, she examined the ancient weapon, looking it over with both her eyes and other senses.

"This is an extremely dangerous item," Zelda said finally. "In the wrong hands this has incredible capacity for destruction."

Link nodded. "I'm going to stay here for a few weeks while I learn how to use it, so I can watch for the Sorcerer. And because there's not much around, too."

Zelda drummed her fingers against the length of the staff thoughtfully. "This was kept in the Temple of Lightning for a reason, so that ordinary people might not stumble across it. Even an insufficiently skilled magic user could do something terrible with this." She held the staff up and met Link's eyes, seeing his concern and curiosity. "I am going to place a seal upon this weapon," Zelda continued, "so that only a Triforce Bearer can wield it. That will at least limit its use to those who already possess great power and know how to use it."

Gor Ignus gestured to the staff with his walking stick. "A wise idea, Your Highness. This must never fall into the wrong hands. Only those chosen by the gods should use it."

Link leaned back slightly. "Sounds good to me. Go ahead."

Zelda gripped the Staff of Lightning tightly in both hands and closed her eyes. She blocked out all outside noises and anything else that could distract her while she formulated the complicated procedure in her mind. Once she was sure she had it right, Zelda drew deeply upon the Triforce of Wisdom and flooded the seal over the staff, permeating it into the magic that enabled the weapon to unleash its power.

She opened her eyes and handed the staff back to its bearer. "Here," she said.

Link hefted the weapon experimentally. "Doesn't feel any different to me."

"That is because you bear the Triforce of Courage," Zelda replied. "Now only you and I can handle it without receiving a mild shock. The longer someone who does not bear a piece of the Golden Power holds the staff, the more severe the shock becomes. Since the staff needs to be held to be used, it is now quite safe."

Link frowned, as something had just occurred to him. "Who bears the Triforce of Power?" he asked suddenly, surprising Zelda.

"I do not know," she said. "It has been missing for nearly a century. Why do you ask?"

Link held up the staff. "Well, you said only a Triforce Bearer can touch this now, so I was wondering who the third was, besides you and me."

Zelda spread her hands and shook her head slightly. "I do not know who bears Power at this time. No one has seen it or its bearer since the last time the Triforce was split. Wisdom has remained in the hands of my family since then, and Courage usually remains with its bearer until death, when it passes to the next individual destined to become a Hero."

As Link rose from his seat, he began to pace, twirling the Staff of Lightning through his hands as if it were a quarterstaff. He was silent for several moments, and Zelda watched him curiously, wondering what he was thinking.

Finally, Link passed the staff behind his back and spun it around his neck before letting it drop into his hand. He held the staff up and nodded in Zelda's direction. "Thank you for placing the seal on this, Your Highness," he said finally. "I am going to go practice with the staff now, but if you need anything, I still have that Gossip Stone you gave me."

One corner of Link's mouth quirked suddenly in an amused smile. "By the way, why are they called that? I would think 'Communication Stone' or 'Talking Stone' would be a little less…" he trailed off, shrugging.

Zelda smiled. "These stones are found all over the world, Link. They have many different names, but they are called 'Gossip Stone' here because that is mainly what they are used for in Hyrule: gossiping among the nobles." Zelda shifted slightly in her seat, adjusting the simple peasant skirt she wore as disguise even here. "Speaking of that, what is the situation in Castle Town?"

Link twirled the staff over his left hand and tossed it to his right. "The Prime Minister and the rest of the council know you and Gareth are alive, but they do not know where you are, for safety reasons. We don't know what spies or other information sources the Sorcerer may have."

"You met with the Prime Minister? I am surprised he let you in, since he has never met you before."

"No, a friend of mine told him what had happened while I was away."

Zelda looked over at the Hero curiously. "What friend?"

Link glanced down at his hand as he spun the Staff of Lightning through his fingers, but he looked back up at Zelda as he answered. "A wizard named Majacen told me that he has connections inside the palace, so he told the Prime Minister you and Gareth were safe."

"You know Majacen?" Gareth said suddenly, the first thing he'd said since Link's account of his adventures had ended.

The Hero's brows rose in surprise. "You know him, too?"

Gareth nodded. "He used to meet with Father and Mother sometimes, and Grandfather before them. He must be very old; Grandfather said Majacen used to advise _his_ father. He still appears at the palace from time to time, or at least he did before…" Gareth trailed off, and Zelda could both see and sense him forcing himself to keep his emotions in check.

Link held up the staff. "He is helping me to learn how to use the Staff of Lightning, and he tells me he has fought the Sorcerer also, to keep him away from here."

Zelda smiled, laying a hand on her brother's shoulder. "That is very good news. I must say I feel safer now that I know both you and Majacen are watching over us." She gestured to the Patriarch, standing nearby. "And, of course, our Goron friends."

The enormous Goron bowed. "It is an honor, Your Highness. We are happy to uphold the alliance between our peoples."

Link twirled the staff once before stowing it in his magic pocket. "Farewell, Your Highnesses. I will be back to check in on you soon, and I'll let you know of my progress then."

Zelda smiled at their protector. "Good luck, Hero."

Link bowed and turned to leave the room.

--

* * *

--

A week later, Link stood with Majacen on a flat rocky area a few miles away from the Goron village deep in the Death Mountain range. Majacen had suggested this area for the training since there was really nothing to be destroyed if Link made a mistake during the training, but it was still close enough that they could quickly return to the Goron village if trouble arose. For the last week, Link had thrown himself into learning how to control the electricity generated by the staff, and Majacen had been a kind and patient but extremely effective teacher.

The wizard stood with his sword drawn several yards away, his back to the smoldering cone of Death Mountain behind him. The fierce hot winds plucked at his clothes and long black hair, which he'd tied back to keep it out of his way.

To Link's annoyance, his own hair was just long enough to blow in his eyes occasionally but not long enough to tie back. He irritably reached up to swipe it out of his eyes again as Majacen gestured with his sword for Link to prepare to defend himself.

Link held his own sword in his left hand and the Staff of Lightning in his right, as Majacen was trying to train him to fight both with the blade and the staff at the same time.

Majacen surged forward, swinging his sword in a high attack with one hand as he loosed a blast of concussive force with the other. Link shifted his grip on the staff and summoned a ball of electricity to counter the magic attack while he angled his sword to counter the wizard's blade.

Without pausing, Majacen attacked twice more with both sword and magic, and sparks flew around them in the hot volcanic air as Link concentrated on defending himself.

After three more attacks, Majacen paused and stepped back. "Good. Very good." He glanced down at his scabbard as he sheathed his sword. The wizard hooked his thumbs in his belt and looked back over the rocky hills toward the Goron village.

Behind them, the massive volcano rumbled and the ground vibrated slightly as a small plume of ash belched out of the cone. Little flecks of ash swirled through the air like hellish snowflakes, carried by the constantly shifting wind.

"You are learning very quickly," Majacen said as he turned to look back at Link. "I do not think you will require much more training in order to be able to face the Sorcerer. Once I think you are ready, the two of us will search the creature out and drive him from whatever lair he has crawled into to finish him."

Link sheathed his own sword, but kept the Staff of Lightning out, resting its bottom end on the ground as he placed his hand on the golden ball at the other end. "Are there any other agents of the Dark One about?" he asked. "If there are, we'll have to fight them, too."

Majacen shook his head. "No, the Dark God works in secrecy, to avoid drawing his mother's attention. Once you destroy the Sorcerer, Zelda and Gareth should be safe, since if he sent another assassin so quickly after the first, Din and her sisters would be able to claim that he is interfering too directly in mortal affairs." The wizard crossed his arms over his chest. "The affairs of gods are complicated, young Link, and nearly beyond our understanding."

Link snorted amusedly. "You've got that right."

He stretched his shoulders and drew his sword again. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's keep going."

Majacen inclined his head in acknowledgment and drew his own weapon. "Begin!"

--

* * *

--

In a cave in the mountain range in the northwestern part of Hyrule, the Sorcerer sat against the cave wall, holding a hand to his side. He was trying to heal his wounds as quickly as he could, but the Hero and the wizard both had inflicted severe injuries upon him, and he had nearly died before managing to summon a bit of his master's power to sustain him as the wounds healed.

For several days, he'd been resting here, trying to recuperate as he formulated a plan to catch the Hero and the wizard off guard so that he could find out where they had hidden Princess Zelda and Prince Gareth.

Abruptly, the air around him seemed to tighten, and the fading light inside the cave dimmed almost to the point of blackness. The Sorcerer sat up straighter, trying to summon the strength to stand as he recognized what was about to happen.

With a surge of power and a gale-force blast of air that knocked the Sorcerer backwards, a robed and cloaked figure appeared before him, tall and broad-shouldered, with a hood shrouding his face. The robe and cloak were both a purple so dark as to almost appear black, with dark metallic threads woven through them in intricate patterns that made the material seem to glimmer as the figure moved. The hooded figure radiated a staggering, almost overwhelming presence through the Sorcerer's magical senses, so much that it was almost painful to have him nearby.

Ignoring the pain, the Sorcerer pushed himself forward to kneel with his forehead pressed against the floor in obeisance. He was about to say what an honor it was that his master had deigned to speak with him when a powerful invisible force seized him and slammed him hard against the wall behind him, holding him there three feet off the floor.

"_**Why are you here in this cave when your targets still live, worm?**_" his master asked, his voice deep and strong, with a slight echo. The Dark God made it obvious that even though he chose to take a form that resembled a mortal, he was clearly not one.

The Sorcerer struggled mightily not to show his pain in front of his master, choking against the iron-hard grip on his chest and throat. "I… I am hurt, my lord," he struggled out. "I wanted to make sure I was strong again before I destroyed them."

Though the Dark God's face was not visible beneath his hood, his sneer was obvious from his tone. "_**You are a failure indeed if you cannot kill two children even in the state you are in, maggot. I should end you now and find myself a more worthy servant.**_"

"N-no, my lord!" the Sorcerer gasped. "A man protects them, the Hero, and a wizard of the Goddesses, also."

The invisible hold relaxed, and the Sorcerer had to concentrate to keep himself standing. The Dark God towered over him, glaring down out of his enshrouding hood with glowing violet eyes, nearly the same color as his robes.

"_**I am aware of these two,**_" he said, his tone dismissive. "_**You are right; you will need your strength back if you are to destroy them before moving on to the children.**_"

With one hand, the Dark God gestured, and the Sorcerer cried out and dropped to his knees as energy flooded into him, extremely painful but also restorative. His wounds closed and vanished as his master healed him, taking no consideration for pain into account as the flesh sealed itself.

The Dark God folded his hands within his sleeves again. "_**Your strength is returned. Resume your hunt.**_"

The Sorcerer bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the floor again. "Thank you, my master. I will begin immediately. If you know where-"

The Dark God interrupted him by sending a lance of pain spearing through his heart. "_**I cannot tell you where your targets are. You know that. The Three are watching me more closely since I sent you after the Royal Family, and they are wrathful. But, I have not yet broken the oath, so they can do nothing against me.**_"

"I am sorry, my master," the Sorcerer said, breathing heavily. "Please, forgive me."

The Dark God said nothing, but the glow from his eyes intensified briefly before he disappeared with another surge of energy.

Gasping, the Sorcerer staggered to his feet and moved off to fulfill his master's orders.

--

* * *

--

Author's Note(a rather long one): *gasp* It lives! Seriously, though, I am sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, but the almost unforgivably long hiatus was a combination of several things. One, I got distracted back in mid-January with a Star Wars story, the first part of which is posted if you want to go check it out. That took me three weeks to write and edit and another week or so to post, so there's one month. The other two, almost three, are due to my laptop giving me major difficulties and the repair place being decidedly less than efficient and expedient. But, I finally have it back now, and have thrown myself into writing in order to get caught up. To make up to my Zelda fans for neglecting this story for so long, I am going to focus on it exclusively until I finish it. There are about four chapters left, so we should be wrapping up this little tale fairly quickly.

Also, Silverwolf05 has posted a picture of the Hero of Lightning(quite a while ago, actually...) so go to my profile, and in the first couple paragraphs, there should be a link to the 'Story-Related' folder in my DeviantArt account. It's definitely one of the best pics yet she's done for my stories, so if you have an account there, be sure to leave a comment. And, of course, feel free to browse around the rest of the folder, as well. There's some great stuff in there.

After much internal debate and some helpful suggestions by a few of my fellow writers, I have changed the ending to 'The Fourth Piece' slightly, so you may want to go check that out. What's there now is actually the original ending that I had written but later took out, now restored. I think it's a much better conclusion, personally, but please let me know what you think. If you reviewed the ending already and want to let me know your thoughts, please either leave an anonymous review or send me a PM, as I'm interested to know more opinions on it.

As a final note(I promise), on the subject of 'The Fourth Piece', there is some rather heavy foreshadowing in this chapter related to the sequel to that story, entitled 'The Secret War', coming summer 2009. Consider it a sneak preview. ;) I've already started on the next chapter of this story, so, assuming nothing catastrophic happens, it should be up in a week or so. Thanks for reading!


	7. This Ends Tonight!

Seven

Link and Majacen stood a few yards apart on a wide, flat area several miles from the Goron village. The small plateau was surrounded on all sides by huge boulders and rocky outcroppings, with the gigantic cone of Death Mountain smoldering quietly off in the distance. The moon hung high, like a pearl in the middle of a jeweled blanket, and cast a silver light upon the scene.

The Hero and the wizard were nearing the end of the second week of Link's training with the Staff of Lightning. As with all previous occasions where the young warrior focused on a skill intently, he was learning at an astronomical rate. Majacen had mentioned several times that even he was surprised at how quickly Link was learning, saying that most of the other Heroes he had trained in magic hadn't adapted as quickly. He was of the opinion that Link was naturally a quick learner and that the Triforce of Courage had augmented this skill along with the others.

Majacen stood with his arms folded across his chest, his back to the volcano, and the wind whipped his long cloak around him along with a few strands of hair that had escaped the tie at the back of his neck. He was standing very still, giving no indication of what he was about to do next, and Link tensed, expecting an attack from either the wizard or one of the illusory monsters he had also been training with.

Link took advantage of the long pause to reach up and cinch his headband tighter. He'd finally given up and found a long black strip of cloth to keep his hair out of his eyes, since the fierce volcanic wind insisted on blowing his longish hair in front of his vision constantly, and Majacen had been taking advantage of this, reminding the young warrior that if he could not see, he could not fight.

A quiet, almost noiseless footstep alerted the Hero to something behind him, and he spun to catch the blade of an illusory robed and hooded figure on his own sword. Majacen attacked at the same moment with a blast of concussive force, and Link whipped the Staff of Lightning behind him to create a small curved shield made of electricity.

The wizard's blast bounced off the electric shield, and Link returned his attention to his phantom opponent, who attacked with a quick series of slashes and thrusts. Link countered the attack with his blade and let a small bolt of electricity -not a full blast of lightning- leap out of the staff to knock the illusory swordsman away.

Two more leaped in at him from the right, and he spun in place, swinging the Staff of Lightning in a wide arc as he loosed two bolts at once. Both bolts hit their targets, knocking them backwards, and the figures faded away as they fell.

From behind, Majacen sent twin bolts of electricity arcing out from his palms, and Link held the Staff of Lightning out in front of himself, trying to remember how to absorb energy with it. He'd been having trouble with that particular technique, doubtless why the wizard was attacking this way.

He caught one of the bolts and absorbed its energy into the staff, but the other hit him in the leg and knocked him down. Link kicked a small rock as he got to his feet, frustrated.

Majacen folded his arms again. "You are doing better, young Link, though you still have improvements you need to make."

Link snorted amusedly, rubbing the sore spot on his leg. "There's an understatement."

The wizard smiled. "It took me a long time to master my own powers. When they were first gifted to me, I thought the Goddesses had perhaps chosen the wrong man to serve them. Nayru just smiled when I said this to her and told me to be patient."

Link sheathed his sword, looking over at Majacen curiously. "You've met the Goddesses?"

Majacen nodded. "Oh, yes. Nayru herself taught me how to use the powers she granted me." He smiled amusedly, a twinkle in his eye. "The training took nearly fifty years. Consider yourself lucky that you do not have as much to learn as I did."

Link chuckled. "Yeah; it'd probably take me a hundred." He thought of something suddenly, and he looked back up at Majacen. "Hey, how old are you, anyway? Zelda and Gareth said you used to advise their great-grandfather when he was the king, so that would make you at least a hundred years old."

Majacen smiled. "I am closer to two hundred, actually. Long life is one of the gifts I received in addition to my powers."

The Hero chuckled in amazement. "That's-"

He was interrupted by a long, shrieking howl, a blood-curdling noise he never thought he would hear again. A sound he had _hoped_ he would never hear again, as long as he lived. Link's hand darted to the hilt of his sword and whipped it out of its scabbard almost without him thinking about it.

Majacen's eyes narrowed as he drew his own weapon. In the wizard's hands, some of the designs upon the intricately engraved hilt began to glow white with power. His eyes closed briefly in concentration, and when they opened, Link could see a trace of fear on the wizard's face, shocking because he'd never seen it there before.

"There are nearly a hundred of them," Majacen said tightly. "And they are drawing closer."

As if in response, the monsters howled again in a terrifying chorus, a horrible imitation of a choir, and Link could not help but shudder. Just _one_ of these things had been almost too much for him in the catacombs of the Gerudo city. To think there were a hundred of them out there…

"These creatures do not naturally congregate," Majacen said, a thoughtful look on his face. "The Dark One must have given command of a group of his creatures to his servant. The Sorcerer has determined the location of your charges and is assaulting in force."

"I thought they were hidden!" Link said desperately, crouching in a defensive posture as he looked around for the approaching monsters.

"It was only a matter of time," Majacen said gravely. "I had hoped it wouldn't come so soon."

Any further discussion was forgotten as the first group of ghouls crawled over the side of the plateau, moving like humanoid insects. Most were wrapped in ragged remains of clothing, hard to see in the darkness but for their faintly glowing orange eyes.

They kept coming, crowding closer together as more of the swarm of creatures moved in in preparation for attack. They were eerily silent, watching the Hero and the wizard with unblinking eyes. Soon, the two of them were surrounded, and Link felt sweat dripping down his face as he tightened his grip on his weapons. He reminded himself that he had the Staff of Lightning now, and Majacen was with him, as well.

Majacen did not give the ghouls the chance to attack first; he raised his left hand and spread the fingers wide. A moment later, a thick blast of incredibly hot blue-white flame erupted from his outstretched palm, smashing into the ghouls like a battering ram.

Several were disintegrated instantly, and many more around them caught fire, shrieking as they stumbled blindly around, knocking into more of the creatures and setting them afire, also.

Dozens were still left, and these let out a horrible paralyzing shriek almost as one. Link froze, nearly overcome with the waves of terror generated by these screams, but Majacen was quicker to respond and sent another gout of flame pouring out of his hand as he swept it through a quick semicircle.

Link finally regained control and shouted fiercely as he hurled himself into the crowd of ghouls, sword swinging wildly. He surged from one to the other, sword slicing dry, brittle limbs off like dead branches, and he spun, sweeping the legs out from under a number of them.

They attacked in turn, and Link's sword moved through a furious pattern that was as much defensive as offensive, blocking slashes from long-nailed hands as he slashed in turn. He used the Staff of Lightning for defense, also, and once he had cleared a gap around himself with a quick spin attack, he sent multiple bolts of lightning surging out of the ancient weapon, smashing with tremendous power into the crowd of monsters.

The thunder from the bolts rolled over the ravines and canyons around them, echoing endlessly like a supernatural orchestra was crashing cymbals together over and over again. The bright light of the lightning lit up the night repeatedly, dancing in flashes that could be seen for miles.

Together, the Hero and the wizard worked as quickly as they could to destroy the monsters, but they kept coming, and it seemed that for every monster they cut down, two more took its place.

--

* * *

--

Deep within the Gorons' mountain, Zelda and Gareth slept peacefully in their beds, undisturbed by the battle outside. Nothing could be seen from underground, and all that could be heard was the occasional muted rumble, which the Goron guards patrolling outside took as nothing more than the usual noises their volcanic home made.

Quickly and quietly, a cloaked figure stole along the tunnels of the underground complex, keeping to the shadows. The Gorons did not notice him, for he froze and seemed to melt into the darkness whenever one drew near.

The Sorcerer grinned fiercely beneath his hood. After nearly a week of searching, he'd finally detected an unusual amount of magic coming from Death Mountain, and when he quietly investigated, he found the Hero and the wizard training with some kind of lightning weapon.

But, more importantly, he'd sensed another piece of the Triforce nearby, and a small spy had confirmed that it was indeed Princess Zelda.

Taking a day to plan and notify his master of what he was doing, the Sorcerer crept into the Goron village and made his way to the royals' bedchamber. He grinned again as he thought of the swarm of ghouls keeping the Hero and the wizard busy; even if they figured out it was only a distraction, they were too far away to do any good now.

He waited until the Goron guard lumbered off on patrol before slowly opening the door and slipping inside. The two golden-haired youths lay in their beds, totally unaware anything was amiss, and the Sorcerer smiled a terrible predator's grin as he slowly drew his sword.

He would start with the girl.

--

* * *

--

Finally, Majacen paused to gather power, and as Link bashed a monster away from him with his staff, the wizard lashed out with his sword to stab one of the ReDead-like monsters. He left the blade in the creature's chest as it fell, then spread his arms wide. With incredible force, he slammed his palms together and sent a wave of concussive force in all directions, knocking the crowd of monsters away for a few moments.

Retrieving his sword, the wizard grabbed Link's shoulder. "You must return to the village!" he said quickly. "The Sorcerer is there!"

Link looked at the crowd of slowly recovering monsters, torn. This reminded him all too much of his disturbing dream in the Temple of Lightning, where he had two conflicting voices begging him for help and he could reach neither in time. "I can't leave you here alone!" he said. "Let's go!"

Majacen shook his head emphatically. "No! These creatures will follow us and overrun the village. I can hold them here, but you have to leave, now!"

"But-"

The wizard interrupted by loosing another blast of flame from his hand, clearing a path through the slowly gathering ring of creatures. "I said _go!_" he thundered, an unmistakable note of command in his voice. "I have lived for two centuries and fully intend to live at least two more. I can handle myself, Hero; your duty is to the Prince and Princess."

Majacen grabbed Link's shoulder and gave him a shove toward the gap in the ring of monsters. The Hero tightened his grip on his weapons and sprinted out of the gap.

He paused only once, looking back to see Majacen renew his assault on the crowd of ghouls with a powerful blast of flame, the blade of his sword shining with a bright white glow.

Link snarled an angry curse against the Sorcerer and his dark master as he turned and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the Gorons' village.

--

* * *

--

A terrified scream yanked Zelda from sleep's embrace, and she instantly jolted upright, looking around to see what the trouble was. Upon opening her eyes, Zelda was greeted with the sight of the Sorcerer standing over her bed with his sword in hand, its point leveled at her throat.

Their enemy was looking, not at her, but at Gareth, who had screamed. This proved to be fortuitous, as it bought Zelda a valuable extra second of time.

As the Sorcerer raised his hand to loose a magical blast at her brother, Zelda threw a shield in front of him, a blue-tinted half-sphere that covered Gareth from head to toe. The orange lance of energy was absorbed by the shield, rippling its surface, and before the ripples had died away, the Sorcerer turned and stabbed down at Zelda.

She hurled herself to the side as his blade sank deep into her mattress, tumbling onto the cold stone floor and landing painfully. Sweeping her loose hair out of her eyes, Zelda scrambled to her feet and seized the first available object within reach. The Sorcerer advanced, but she smashed her bedside lamp over his upraised arm. His sleeve caught fire, but instead of leaping aside to beat out the flames, the dark mage only smiled.

As Zelda watched, astonished, the flames crawled down his sleeve and gathered in the palm of his hand, leaving nothing more than slightly singed fabric behind. The Sorcerer grinned wickedly as he sent the flame surging out at her. Zelda hurriedly threw another shield in front of herself, and the flame was deflected to the side, where it found something else to consume: her bed.

The mattress and blankets caught fire almost immediately, and Zelda backed away from the flames, feeling the temperature of the room surge within seconds. Her back met the stone wall behind her, and she realized with horror that the Sorcerer and the burning bed had trapped her here, blocked off from her brother, who sat huddled on his own bed, too terrified to move.

The Sorcerer smiled his terrible smile again, as if silently reminding her that there was nowhere for her to go. He tossed his sword back and forth between his hands, slowly walking toward her with the unhurried gait of a predator who had cornered his prey and was about to strike.

Desperate, Zelda sent a burst of energy out at him, but he raised a hand almost contemptuously and absorbed the energy into his palm. A moment later, he sent it back at her.

Zelda dodged the lance of energy, but the point of the Sorcerer's sword leaped over to intercept her flight and she instead forced herself to tumble in the opposite direction. She banged her elbow hard on the stone floor, and gasped in pain.

He swiped at her again, forcing her back into the corner, but a small gout of flame hit his cloak from behind, and the dark mage spun to look, keeping the point of his sword leveled at the princess.

Gareth crouched behind his bed, one trembling arm still outstretched, and he shrank back as the Sorcerer took a menacing step toward him.

Ignoring Zelda, if even only for a moment, proved to be a costly mistake. The moment his back was turned, she seized the chair sitting next to her bed and smashed it with as much force as her muscles could provide over his head and shoulders.

The Sorcerer stumbled against the wall, tripping over the fragments of the chair, and Zelda took advantage of his momentary lapse to surge past him and leap over her brother's bed to land next to Gareth. Once they were together, she erected another shield around the outside of the bed, which she and Gareth turned on its side to provide another level of protection, if a flimsy one.

Snarling in wordless anger, the Sorcerer kicked away the broken remnants of the chair and brought his hands together, energy crackling between his fingers. Zelda threw an extra layer of protection into the shield, just as a hissing, spitting beam of energy as thick around as her waist slammed into the barrier.

The Sorcerer leaned forward, pouring deadly light from his hands, and the periodic flashes illuminated his face under his hood, revealing a triumphant grin strained with exertion, almost more of an animal snarl than anything that belonged on a human face.

Zelda drew deeply upon her own reserves of magic, bolstered by the Triforce of Wisdom, and did her best to make sure the shield held. The Sorcerer's beam was consuming the protective energy almost faster than she could renew it, and the princess quickly began to tire.

She could not guess how long they remained that way, each straining against the other, but between the choking smoke from the burning bed and the sheer effort required to maintain a shield of that power level, Zelda knew she but a few moments left.

Finally, just as it seemed she could go on no longer, the world around them exploded in light and sound, simultaneously blinding and deafening her as she was thrown back against the wall with a powerful wave of concussive force. Zelda cried out in pain as she pressed her hands over her ears, a small part of her mind wondering what sort of attack the Sorcerer had conjured, but several seconds passed seemingly without incident.

Trying to see past the afterimages swarming over her vision, Zelda was barely able to make out a flash of green, illuminated by the fire, and over the painful ringing in her ears, she heard the unmistakable sound of steel clashing against steel. Beside her, Gareth huddled on the stone floor in a ball, eyes squeezed tightly shut as he pressed his palms over his ears.

Blinking furiously to restore her vision, Zelda coughed violently on the smoke, now seeming to fill the entire room, and looked past the flames of her bed to two indistinct shapes, both vaguely man-shaped.

As one of them was violently knocked into the bed she and her brother huddled behind, she recognized Link, his green tunic streaked with ash and blood soaking his right sleeve from a deep cut on his upper arm.

Shouting fiercely, the Hero leaped to his feet and whipped the long purple-blue staff in his right hand at the other shape. Zelda realized what he was doing an instant before the thunderbolt leaped out of the head of the staff and crouched down, covering her ears.

With a terrible rumbling boom and a flash so bright she could see it through her closed lids, the lightning bolt exploded through the chamber, sounding like the end of the world. Over the renewed ringing in her ears, Zelda heard a new sound, a roaring she was at first unable to identify.

As she looked up over the edge of the overturned bed, Zelda realized that Link had blasted out one wall of the room with the lightning bolt, and apparently the Sorcerer as well, since he was nowhere in sight. The hot mountain wind sucked most of the smoke out of the chamber, though the burning mattress still made her eyes water and she nearly choked on the acrid smell.

The Hero sheathed his sword and leaned his staff against the wall, sharp eyes locked on the hole in the wall. Beyond, the rocky slopes of Death Mountain were visible, the orange glow from the cone of the volcano mixing with the silver moonlight to present an unearthly scene.

As Zelda rose and started to make her way over to where their protector stood, Link pulled off his headband and quickly ripped away the right sleeve of his undershirt, yanking the lower edge out of his bracer. He scrubbed away the blood on his upper arm with what was left of the white sleeve, teeth gritted in pain, and glanced up again at the wide, jagged hole leading outside.

He glanced up as Zelda touched his arm, gesturing for the black headband. He handed it to her and let her tend to his wound as he picked up his staff with his other hand, still watching for his enemy's return.

Zelda bound the deep cut tightly, but Link suppressed his cry of pain, clenching his teeth as she tightened the improvised bandage. The Hero looked it over himself before drawing his sword, stepping away.

"Thank you," he said, meeting her eyes with steely determination in his own.

With his torn, soot-streaked clothes and gleaming weapons, the volcanic wind whipping his hair around his head, Link looked at that moment more like the legendary warriors she'd heard stories of than ever before. If the fierce gleam in his eye had been directed at her, he would have been even more terrifying to Zelda than his opponent.

"Stay here," he said, his voice hard but also betraying a hint of fear. Not fear for himself, Zelda realized; he was even now internally upbraiding himself for letting the Sorcerer get as close as he did.

Clenching his hands around his weapons, Link set his jaw and turned to leap out of the hole in the wall, scrambling up the slope of the volcano a moment later. She could barely see him in the darkness, but when an orange lance of energy ripped past his torso on the side furthest from her, he was silhouetted for a moment, sword raised in challenge to an opponent she could not see.

Zelda moved to the enormous hole in the wall and carefully stepped out, following the battle as best she could. Only when an especially sharp rock dug into the sole of her foot did she realize she was barefoot, and she stopped, squinting into the orange-tinted darkness for the Hero and the Sorcerer.

Over the rumbling of the volcano, she heard distant shouts of challenge, punctuated by the clash of steel and the humming whine of the Sorcerer's energy blasts. Zelda raised a hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the wind and keep her hair out of her face, watching the distant flashes of light.

Finally, Link unleashed another thunderbolt and the entire slope of the mountain was lit up as bright as noon for an instant, the rumble of the thunder echoing powerfully off of the rocky cliffs surrounding them. For the briefest of moments, Zelda caught a glimpse of Link and the Sorcerer sprinting toward one another, swords raised, but as the light from the bolt faded, she lost sight of them again.

She was startled as something huge and flaming soared over her head, hurtling up the mountain like a meteor to smash against a jutting rocky outcropping. Zelda looked back to see Link's friend Dar standing in the hole in the side of her room, massive arms still raised from the throw and a fierce snarl on his face. She realized he had thrown her bed, and as she looked back, the burning remnants of the mattress and wooden frame illuminated the two duelists locked in furious combat.

Link parried a twirling slash from the Sorcerer, slashing back with his own sword, but the dark mage spun in a wide kick, his robes and cloak flaring out with the movement, and his boot solidly met the center of Link's chest. The Hero stumbled, and as he did, the Sorcerer flared out his fingers and loosed a concussive blast, knocking the young warrior backwards.

The Hero slipped and tumbled back down the slope, bouncing twice before coming to a painfully sudden halt against a boulder. Zelda gasped, fearing the worst, but as another, apparently natural lightning bolt hit the far side of Death Mountain's cone, she saw him slowly getting to his feet next to the boulder, obviously in a great deal of pain.

More rubble soared up the mountain as if flung from a catapult, thrown by Dar and several other Gorons who had come to help. Zelda could see the huge shape of the Patriarch shouting orders to his fellow rock-men, pointing with an arm as long as she was tall at the cloaked shape slowly descending the slope toward Link.

The missiles drove the Sorcerer away from his opponent, and he backed away a few steps as he sent multiple thin bursts of energy to disintegrate the incoming rubble.

Zelda turned, the surging wind swirling about the volcano pulling at her hair and nightgown, and climbed back up through the hole left by Link's lightning blast. Dar grabbed her arm in one huge hand and effortlessly pulled the princess up into the wreckage of her room. He pressed a bundle into her hands, and as she nearly dropped it, Zelda realized it was her boots and her brother's large coat, donated by one of the other refugees when they had fled here from Castle Town several weeks ago.

"We must get you to safety!" the Patriarch rumbled, gesturing to the door to their room, which had been ripped right off the hinges by Dar's forceful entrance.

"Take Gareth!" Zelda shouted over the howling wind. "I have to help Link!"

Her tone made it clear she would brook no argument, so the gigantic Goron leader simply nodded once, looking over her shoulder as she shrugged into the coat. "Go with her, Dar," he said.

The other Goron nodded, clapping a fist to his rocky chest. "Come, Little Sister," he said to Zelda. "We will go help my sworn brother destroy that evil man. I will show you a tunnel that will take us near the top of the cone."

Zelda reached up and attempted to clasp his shoulder, but Dar was too tall, so she just patted his upper arm instead. "Thank you," she said, and he grinned widely, seeming eager to get outside and throw more rubble at their enemy.

She went over to her brother and enfolded him in a tight hug, feeling Gareth trembling in her arms. As she pulled back, she saw that there were tears in his eyes. Zelda brushed some of his hair away from his face and put on a reassuring smile.

"Go with the Patriarch, Gareth," she said. "He'll keep you safe."

He hugged her again, pressing his face to her shoulder. "What about Link?" he asked, his voice still quavering.

Zelda looked down into his eyes. "Link is going to get rid of that evil man, and I am going to do my best to help him," she said. "You stay with the Patriarch in the tunnels, and don't come out for anything."

Gareth sniffled, but he took a deep breath and wiped away his tears. "You stay safe, too. You're all I have left."

Zelda was struck by the abject sadness in her brother's voice, and she pulled him close. "I know," she said, fighting her own tears that tried to rise at that moment. "We'll make it through this, I promise."

Gareth straightened and nodded, putting on a show of bravery. He swallowed and turned to follow the Patriarch, who had to hunch over to fit through the doorframe. The gigantic Goron smiled reassuringly, and he guided Gareth along as the two of them hurried deeper into the mountain.

Zelda turned to Dar, meeting his eyes with determination of her own. "Come on," she said. "One way or the other, this is going to end tonight."

The huge rock-man bobbed his head once, and the two of them rushed off into the tunnels, seeking higher ground.

--

* * *

--

Link reached up and swiped the blood out of his eyes with his remaining sleeve, grunting as the fabric scraped the cut on his forehead, earned during his tumble down the jagged slope.

Every part of his body ached, it seemed, but he forced himself to ignore the pain, concentrating on the battle. He'd managed to land a few hits on the Sorcerer, but it was obvious his enemy wasn't as wounded as he was, either through some kind of magical protection or just luck.

Breathing heavily, Link summoned the electrical shield Majacen had taught him to use, absorbing another fiery orange lance of energy. The force of the impact pushed him back, and his boots scrabbled for purchase on a loose patch of gravel for a moment before he slipped and landed painfully on his knee.

Link cried out, but clenched his teeth and raised the Staff of Lightning, pouring three bolts at once to snake up the mountain at the Sorcerer. The dark mage absorbed two with a shield of his own, but the other one knocked him off his feet, and he tumbled backwards out of sight.

The Hero slumped against the boulder next to him, breathing the scorching air deeply into his lungs. It felt like it burned his insides on the way in, and he coughed, waving a flurry of floating ash away from his face. Sweat poured down his face, running down his neck to soak his shirt and tunic. Due to the oven-like heat, it evaporated quickly, leaving salt caked at his temples and in his hair, which thankfully had become stiff enough with the dried sweat that it stayed out of his eyes when he pushed it back.

Around him, the volcano shook as it rumbled ominously, and Link nearly fell as he lost his balance, scraping his knuckles on the rough stone of the boulder next to him.

After a few more moments' rest, Link wiped the blood and sweat out of his eyes again and tightened his grip on his weapons, emerging from his temporary shelter to look around for his opponent.

The scene spread out before him was like something out of a nightmare, sharp jagged rocks scattered everywhere over the steep dark slope of the volcano, with occasional patches of bright orange molten rock flowing down in slow-moving streams. The forbidding summit of Death Mountain was shrouded in a cloud of smoke and ash, glowing orange against the dark, star-flecked sky. A tiny sliver of the huge silver orb of the moon was visible through the fog-like ash cloud, casting an eerie glow over the stark landscape.

A distant flash of light caught his eye, and Link peered out into the darkness as another surged up from the spot he'd left Majacen. A distant clap of sound rolled over the sharp-edged cliffs, resulting from a concussive blast loosed by the wizard. Link could dimly make out several humanoid shapes still moving around in the distance, one of them wielding a glowing white sword. He thought he could briefly see Majacen's face as the wizard poured a column of flame from his other hand, moving in the same motion to slash his sword at one of the other indistinct shapes.

He felt a brief pang, knowing he could not go to help his friend, but, as Link reminded himself, his own opponent was just as deadly as any crowd of ghouls, and at that moment, he did not know where the Sorcerer was.

Jaw setting with deadly intent, Link moved to hike up the slope in search of his enemy. A deep, burning rage settled over his mind; his task was to protect Zelda and her brother, and he'd nearly failed in that. If he'd been only a few seconds later…

Link raised his weapons in challenge, ignoring the pain from his already numerous wounds as he presented himself as a target.

"This ends tonight!" the Hero bellowed into the darkness, shouting at the top of his voice in an angry roar to make himself heard over the rumble of the volcano and the howling wind.

"You hear me, creature?" Link screamed, looking through the ash and smoke for the other man. "One of us isn't leaving this mountain alive!"

With a suddenness that sent a chill down Link's spine despite the heat, the Sorcerer appeared out of a cloud of smoke a few yards up the slope.

His cloak and robes whipping around him from the wind, the dark mage slowly raised his sword, smiling grimly beneath his hood. In the darkness, Link could see a faint orange glow in his nameless enemy's eyes, not a reflection of the streams of lava around them but something from within.

As he shifted into a ready stance, the Sorcerer spoke the only three words Link ever heard him say:

"So be it."

--

* * *

Author's Note: As I am on vacation and currently unable to get near a reliable Internet connection every day, I wasn't able to get online until today to post this, even though I finished it a while ago. I'm well into the next chapter, as well as a Star Wars story I'm also working on, so if you want to go check out my 'One Missed Strike' stories, you'll probably be all caught up by the time I can get online again to post it. Till next time!


	8. The Mountain Shakes

Eight

Princess Zelda and Dar sprinted through the rocky tunnels burrowing through the Gorons' mountain, seeking an exit that would allow them to come to the aid of the Hero, Link.

Although she was a princess, Zelda did not much look like one at that moment, wearing a soot-stained nightgown and a pair of leather boots under a long heavy coat, with her long golden hair loose and tangled from sleep. But her appearance was the furthest thing from her mind at that moment; she was more concerned with finding a way to help the man who had been protecting her and her brother for the last several weeks to defeat the dark mage known only as the Sorcerer.

Link and the Sorcerer were fighting outside on the volcano's slope, trading both sword strikes and blasts of either lightning or magic, and Zelda was gripped with a fear, not for herself, but for Link. He was the Hero, true, and more than lived up to the legends of his predecessors, but his lack of experience still put him at risk from so dangerous a foe as the Sorcerer.

After what seemed like an hour but what was probably only a few minutes, the princess and the Goron burst out into the open. What struck Zelda first was how hellish the landscape outside was; at first it looked like nothing earthly, and a momentary superstition insisted that she'd somehow strayed into the underworld.

The night was thick and black, hanging almost like a dark blanket over the scene, and the heat and ash belching forth from Death Mountain's cone turned the air to a poisonous fume, choking her, though Dar did not seem bothered in the slightest. This was his home, after all, and Gorons were made of sterner stuff by far than Hylians.

Through the cloud of ash and smoke, Zelda could dimly make out two figures high upon the slope, standing almost on the rim of the great mountain. As she watched, squinting through the heat mirages thrown between her and the duel by the multitudinous streams of molten lava, the two figures exchanged a furious series of attacks and counterattacks, the sound of steel smashing against steel with tremendous force echoing off the rocks and ringing in her ears.

Quickly, one of the figures flashed with bright light, but when no rumble of thunder reached her ears, Zelda knew it had been the Sorcerer who attacked. His opponent, Link, went soaring through the air in an out-of-control tumble, as if he had been launched from a catapult, and as she watched in horror, he landed heavily across an outcropping on the very rim of the fiery mountain and did not rise.

She made to step further out of the tunnel, but a massive arm blocked her way.

"I don't think we can go up there," Dar rumbled, his deep voice edged with concern and anger. "There are too many lava streams to cross, and the ground is treacherous. I won't risk your safety for this, Little Sister."

Zelda gestured desperately at the ominously still shape of the Hero, draped over the outcropping without so much as a twitch. "We have to, Dar!" she shouted over the wind. "Link is in trouble!"

Dar stooped to pick up a large stone bigger around than her head. "That he is, Little Sister. But, we can still help him from here."

To demonstrate, he hurled the stone high into the air, where it soared in a long arc before crashing down with perfect accuracy between the Sorcerer's shoulders, knocking the dark mage to the ground.

The distant shape leaped to his feet and sent a stream of burning orange energy back at the Goron, though his aim was off and it impacted several yards from their position. Dar grinned widely, the smile seeming to stretch across his entire face, and he stooped for another stone.

"If you would, Little Sister, I could use your help in collecting ammunition," he said, gathering up more loose rocks in one huge hand.

Zelda immediately bent to her task, scrambling over the rough ground in search of suitable missiles for her companion. As she was doing so, she heard more heavy footsteps, and as she looked up, Zelda was surprised to see a large number of Gorons crowding out of their tunnel and more nearby, come to watch the fight.

A hearty cheer rose from the gathered rock-men, and Zelda looked up to see that Link had finally hauled himself to his feet, moving very slowly but thankfully alive. She could see only a distant, wavering silhouette, but she guessed he must have numerous painful wounds by now. This could only hurt his chances against the Sorcerer, and her fear for him increased.

Dar had this covered, though. In a loud, booming voice, he shouted to his fellow Gorons as he gestured up the mountain. "Come on, Brothers!" he bellowed. "Drive the creature over the rim!"

Shouting exuberantly, the Gorons scrambled for their own missiles and began flinging stones with great force at the cloaked shape higher up the volcano's slope. Many of them came quite close, but the Sorcerer gestured angrily with one arm and an orange shield sprang into existence between himself and the rock-men, partially obstructing the view.

Zelda watched helplessly as he charged at the staggering Hero, sword raised in deadly threat.

--

* * *

--

Link saw something big and dark coming at him, and he brought up the Staff of Lightning, discharging a powerful bolt that hit the shape square in the middle and knocked it flying over the enormous crater of the volcano. He sagged in relief against the outcropping he had landed on as the deafening rumble of the thunder rolled over the cone of Death Mountain, thankful for at least a momentary respite.

If there was a part of him that wasn't aching, he couldn't find it. He was bleeding from numerous cuts and wounds, most of them on his chest and shoulders from when he'd landed on jagged patches of stone during one of his tumbles.

But, as a patch of blood on a nearby flat stone he knew he had not left proved, he'd managed to wound his opponent at least once. Link wondered where he'd managed to land a hit on the Sorcerer, and how serious the wound was. He knew it was too much to hope that he'd pierced something vital, but hopefully it would slow the dark mage some.

The Hero was exhausted; not only had he been hit numerous times and taken several painful falls, he'd had to hike up most of Death Mountain's crater in pursuit of the Sorcerer, and his leg muscles were trembling from the strain of his exertions.

Keeping an eye out for the Sorcerer, Link laid aside the Staff of Lightning and reached into his magic pocket for a bottle. As usual, the item he had been thinking of sprang into his hand almost immediately, and as he squinted at it in the dull orange light, he thought it was a bottle of red potion, one he'd purchased on his last trip to Castle Town.

He yanked out the cork with his teeth and spat it aside, then poured the chalky-tasting concoction down his throat. He coughed on it once, but didn't stop until he had drained the entire bottle. Quickly, Link felt the restorative properties of the potion surge through his body, and he felt a little less tired, his aches fading until they were dull and barely noticeable. A few of his less severe wounds stopped bleeding, and as he reached up to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, his hand came away red from the gash on his forehead, but it seemed to have closed over.

Link glanced at his bare right arm, with the bandage over the deep cut on his bicep, and as he flexed it, he thought the wound under the bandage had also closed. He absently wiped away some of the dark soot caking his skin, noting with distant amusement that his remaining sleeve was just as stained with residue, hardly any of the original white visible.

As he reached down for the Staff of Lightning, an orange blast of energy whined down and knocked the artifact away from his grasp.

Reacting with the superhuman reflexes provided by his Triforce, Link spun away and hurled the empty glass bottle in his hand in the direction of the beam. He was both surprised and fiercely amused when he heard the bottle shatter and a pained grunt from the Sorcerer.

Before the dark mage could further react, Link kicked the Staff of Lightning into his hand and quickly sheathed his sword. Whirling the staff through his hands to build momentum, Link leaped forward and smashed the ball at the head of the staff as hard as he could into the cloaked figure's stomach.

The Sorcerer's breath left him in a great rush, and he stumbled back, but Link gave him no time to recover, mercilessly striking the dark mage twice more before hooking his ankle behind the Sorcerer's knee. Link let go of the staff with one hand and punched the evil magic-user as hard as he could in the jaw as he simultaneously tripped him.

As the dark mage tumbled, he snaked out a tendril of magic and tripped Link at the same time. Link landed hard on his face, the rough stone scraping his cheek as a protuberance dealt him a blow to the stomach so severe he could not breathe for a few moments afterward.

The Sorcerer scrambled for his sword, but as he leaped at the Hero, he found Link with his own blade in hand. Link blocked the strike, surely a mortal one if he hadn't been able to bring up his own weapon, and rolled to his feet, keeping the point of his sword aimed at his enemy. He did not know where the Staff of Lightning had fallen, and he tried to get a glimpse of it at the edges of his vision as he slowly circled the Sorcerer.

So quickly Link could not react, the Sorcerer moved his hands in a quick pattern and a hailstorm of thin orange lances sprang at him like a rain of needles. Link tried to dodge, but could not move fast enough and so many of the lances hit him. He cried out in pain as the lances of fire dug into his flesh, and he stumbled backwards, collapsing hard against the unforgiving stone.

Time seemed to slow, and he watched as if from a great distance as the Sorcerer slowly stalked toward him, sword raised for the death-blow.

--

* * *

--

Zelda gasped as she saw Link fall back against the Sorcerer's assault, and desperately, she wished that she had the power of flight, so that she could soar up the mountain to help her protector.

But the Triforce of Wisdom granted its bearer no such power, and so she was forced to stay next to Dar, watching helplessly as all hope seemed to fade. At the back of her mind, Zelda saw in a vision what would happen if Link fell beneath the Sorcerer's blade this night.

The dark mage would come first for her, and the Gorons would not be able to resist him. They would all fall beneath his dark powers, and then he would kill her, quickly but cruelly. Next he would go after her brother, and the line of the Hylian Royal Family would perish completely.

Hyrule would fall under darkness, though she could not see if it was the Sorcerer himself sitting in the dark mockery of her family's throne room she saw in the vision, all draped in black and gray. The Dark Lord who came to rule the Golden Kingdom would use its power to spread darkness over first the continent surrounding them, then across the world.

The Triforce would be forced together and bent to an evil will, she saw, though she still could not see the face of the grim man who wielded it. The vision showed her a single man draped in black and dark purple standing against an army in unfamiliar uniforms on a wide green field under a thick pall of clouds. As Zelda watched, horrified, a golden triangle made of three smaller triangles blazed upon his hand, and he swept into the army with all the force of a hurricane, scattering men like leaves as blindingly bright energy swirled about him, incinerating hundreds more.

Next, she saw the faceless man in black and purple standing on a high platform constructed of black stone, arms crossed over his chest as thousands of wretched people passed before him, herded off into a series of smoking foundries to be used as slaves to make weapons of war. A number of grim guardians stood behind the Dark Lord, swords, pikes, and other weapons in their hands as they watched their master's plans unfold with satisfaction.

The world would fall into a terrible darkness for a thousand years if the Triforce were wrenched away from its guardians, Zelda understood through the vision. Enemies beyond count desired to seize its power for themselves, she knew, and the only place it was safe was here in Hyrule under the protection of the Goddesses, her family, and the Heroes.

Just as suddenly as it began, the vision left her, and Zelda blinked in momentary disorientation, reaching out to steady herself against Dar next to her.

"Are you all right, Little Sister?" Dar asked, looking down at her with concern.

"I'm fine," Zelda replied, still puzzling over the vision. "Can you see what's happening?"

Dar shook his head. "I can't see anything up there," he rumbled, concern still tingeing his deep voice. "But I fear Little Brother may have met his end."

--

* * *

--

Back up on the rim of the volcano, Link watched as the Sorcerer slowly stalked toward him, sword poised to strike. He could not summon the strength to move, it seemed, and could do nothing but wait.

The Sorcerer took another slow step, his glowing orange eyes glaring down at Link with murderous intent while the gleaming length of steel in his hand reflected the lava streams around them. He almost seemed to be prolonging his stalk, enjoying seeing his victim helpless before him.

Link felt drained, utterly spent. His body hurt so much that he felt like every breath was an agony, his muscles afire, and he knew they would pain him even more if he tried to move.

The Sorcerer took another step closer.

Something metal nearby caught his eye, and he saw the Staff of Lightning lying on the rocks next to him, just out of arm's reach from his current position. The way he felt, it might as well have been on the other side of Hyrule.

The Sorcerer took another step closer.

Link noticed his sword lay nearby, also. If he stretched, just a little, he would have both his weapons in hand, and he could fight back. Or he could just lay here and wait for death to come to him.

The Sorcerer took another step closer. One more step, and he would be close enough to plunge his blade into Link's heart.

Link suddenly felt a great surge of strength and determination flow through him. Pain be damned. It was time to end this.

The Sorcerer finally reached him and stabbed down, but Link rolled to the side and seized the staff. He whipped it around and planted it in the center of the Sorcerer's chest, then let loose the wards sealing the power of lightning inside the weapon, pouring all the energy he could into his foe.

The whole mountain lit up with a bright white flash as electricity poured into the dark mage. It seemed to Link as if he could sometimes see the Sorcerer's bones through his skin and clothes, the lightning crackling and hissing as the Hero sent it raging in.

A high, agonized keening tore out of the Sorcerer, almost like a scream of anguish but oddly echoing and strangely pitched. The ghastly noise was nothing a mortal throat could have produced, and Link shuddered involuntarily, disturbed at hearing such an unnatural sound.

Finally, he cut off the flow of electricity and painfully hauled himself upright. His sword in one hand and the Staff of Lightning in the other, Link slowly moved toward the Sorcerer, who staggered away gasping, both hands pressed to his chest.

With all the strength he could muster, Link struck the dark mage between the shoulders with the head of the staff, letting a bolt of energy out upon contact. _For Majacen_.

Before the Sorcerer could fall on his face, Link hit him again in the center of the chest, letting out another bolt that knocked him in the other direction. _For Gareth_.

Again, before the Sorcerer could fall, Link whirled the staff over his head and smashed the ball at the top hard into the place where the dark mage's neck met his shoulder, pouring hot electricity in a near lightning-strength bolt upon contact. _For Zelda_.

The Sorcerer let out an odd, ghostly grunt, a weirdly echoing noise, and stumbled back on the rocks.

Jaw set in determination, the wind swirling around him and setting his clothes and hair fluttering, Link locked eyes with his enemy and took a slow step forward. With all his remaining strength, he rammed his sword straight through the center of the dark mage's chest, piercing his heart.

The Sorcerer's head fell back as he let out another bone-chilling shriek, screaming in pain at the mortal blow.

When at last the howl faded away, Link planted a boot next to his sword and shoved the Sorcerer off his blade, sending him toppling backwards over the rim of Death Mountain.

Still as a statue, Link watched as the Sorcerer tumbled, his dark robes and cloak fluttering from the speed of his descent before he finally fell into the lava below, vanishing in an instant.

The Hero of Lightning heaved a great sigh of relief; his task was done. Zelda and her brother were safe at last, and his struggle was over.

It seemed as if the entire world went silent for a moment, a deep breath before a cry of jubilation.

In the next moment, a great burst of sickly-looking orange light surged upwards from the place where the Sorcerer had fallen, and a sound like the crack of thunder rent the air. Lights flashed in a dozen explosions as the energy contained within the Sorcerer's body released itself back into the world.

The next several moments were filled with such explosions, streaks of light soaring over the volcano like a storm of fire, hissing and popping before finally exploding with another ground-shaking blast.

Link stumbled back, unable to keep his footing as the mountain rumbled and shook, groaning ominously. He heard a deafeningly loud sound like bubbling and popping, and then a tremendous fume of ash spewed out of the top of the mountain, knocking him flying backwards with its force.

He tumbled down the mountain, bouncing several times, and he screamed in agony as something snapped inside him. Around him, the world shook violently, something terrible deep within the earth straining to get out, building up pressure and heat until he felt like his skin was roasting off his bones.

A great roaring, crashing boom like the very earth itself being ripped apart rolled over Link, and he watched from his awkward, painful position as an impossibly long streak of fire leaped up from the top of Death Mountain, seeming to stretch up to burn the very clouds.

Black swarmed around the edges of his vision, and Link felt himself start to fade away. Just before he slipped down the black abyss, he thought he saw a momentary flash of a familiar face, and then he knew no more.

--

* * *

--

During the climax of the duel, Zelda watched with soaring spirits as Link suddenly stood from where he had fallen under the dark magic blasts, weapons clenched in his hands. The echoing shriek she thought the Sorcerer had made slowly faded away, and as she watched, Link struck the dark mage once, twice, three times with the Staff of Lightning, bright white light flashing with each strike. As the Sorcerer stumbled, Link plunged his sword through the evil mage's heart.

Dar threw up his arms and bellowed in triumph, cheering raucously along with the rest of the Gorons as Link planted his boot on the Sorcerer's chest and shoved him back into the volcano.

Zelda heartily joined in the cheer, rejoicing along with the crowd of mountain people in sheer joy. The nightmare was finally over, and their hunter was dead!

But, a moment later, a swirling pyrotechnic eruption screamed out of the volcano's cone, bursts of magic soaring through the air and exploding as the Sorcerer's vile power released itself back into the world. Zelda had never seen its like before, and to see the power their foe had contained was terrifying.

What happened next sent a whole new wave of terror surging through the princess. Death Mountain rumbled ominously, shaking violently, and Zelda felt with a sinking sense of dread what was about to happen.

A nearby Goron gave voice to her fear: "The mountain is erupting!" he bellowed.

Dar's eyes were wide with astonishment. "The volcano hasn't erupted in a thousand years!" he said disbelievingly.

As if mockingly going against his words, a tremendous plume of ash spewed high into the air. Something crackled within it, and for a moment the entire cloud was webbed through with snaking bursts of lightning, lighting up the night sky for miles around.

Zelda was nearly overwhelmed with the breath-taking display of the mountain's power, but Dar's thoughts were somewhere else.

"Link!" he shouted. "Link is up there!"

Moving faster than she had thought Gorons could, Dar sprinted off up the mountain, jumping over some obstacles and smashing others out of his way as he ran for his sworn brother, bellowing mightily along the way.

Zelda stumbled as the mountain shook again, falling painfully to her knees with the violence of the tremor.

A Goron seized her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder, turning to run back down the tunnel. As the Goron moved off, Zelda heard the other rock people shouting to each other, bellowing instructions over the earth-shattering rumble of their volcanic home.

Zelda's shaken mind caught that they were going to try and dig a trench to divert the lava flow before the Goron who had picked her up passed out of earshot, running with long steps deeper inside the mountain.

Then the world was all sound and light, fire and thunder, and she mercifully passed out.

--

* * *

--

Hours later, Zelda and Gareth stood with the Patriarch and Gor Ignus on the edge of the long canyon the Gorons' village and Kakariko occupied, watching in stunned disbelief as the lava flow buried the Goron village under a great river of molten rock.

The Gorons' trench had succeeded in diverting the flow away from Kakariko below, but at the cost of their own village, which was being completely destroyed. The sky was heavily overcast with clouds, and the stench of smoke hung thickly in the air. It was several hours after sunrise, but the great cloud of ash and smoke hanging overhead blotted out almost all light, making it seem night still.

Through the rest of the night, Zelda and Gareth had helped a veritable army of Goron youngsters and elders bring box after box away from the village, all that they could save of the countless irreplaceable treasures the Gorons watched over. Thankfully, no one had been killed that she knew of, and it looked like nothing that could not be replaced and rebuilt was being lost.

"The destruction is horrifying," Zelda said, watching as several buildings crumbled into the lava flow.

"This village stood for more than a thousand years," the Patriarch rumbled, massive arms crossed over his enormous chest. His features had a pained set to them as he watched the village he had protected be destroyed.

"It was built after the last eruption wiped the previous city away," said Gor Ignus. "The Gorons are used to this cycle, so most things are stored so that they can be brought quickly and safely away in case of an eruption." The ancient Goron smiled, his wrinkled face taking on a sad but accepting expression. "The Gorons' village has been rebuilt many times over the millennia," he said. "Now we can make it anew, built however we want."

The Patriarch nodded. After a moment, they fell into silence again.

They had had no word from Link or Dar at all since the eruption, and Zelda feared the mountain had taken them both. A great sense of sorrow welled up in Zelda's chest at the thought of this, and she felt a tear slide down her cheek, washing a thin trail through the soot caked on her face.

A soft set of footsteps approached their group from behind, crunching through the gravel scattered along the top of the cliff. Zelda turned to see the wizard Majacen approaching, his own face streaked with soot and his clothes torn and burnt in places. His long, graying black hair was tangled about his head, partly matted with blood from a gash on his forehead, and part of his long beard had been singed.

The wizard looked exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open, and she noticed that he kept a hand pressed to his side, his fingers streaked with blood. He still gripped his ornately engraved sword in one hand, its hilt and blade smeared with some dark, oil-like substance she dared not guess at.

"Princess Zelda," he said in greeting, his voice tired but warm. "It is good to see you are safe."

"It is good to see you as well, Majacen," she replied, relieved that the wizard had survived the eruption.

He nodded tiredly as he wiped his sword off on the ragged remnants of his gray cloak and then sheathed it. He wiped his hands on his dark brown robe, leaving black smears on the singed and torn fabric. The wizard moved over to place a comforting hand on Zelda's shoulder as he stood next to her, watching the inexorable flow of the slowly cooling lava.

"Has there been any sign of Link?" he asked.

Zelda shook her head sadly. Gareth put his arm around her and sighed, sniffling. She squeezed his shoulder, fighting back tears of her own for their protector.

The small group watched for a few more minutes, their hearts heavy.

Suddenly, they heard a commotion as a lookout behind them spotted something moving. They turned to see, and Zelda squinted at the far-off shape, slowly able to make it out as a walking Goron carrying something in his massive arms. What little sun was able to make it through the clouds glinted for a moment off of something metal in the Goron's arms, and Zelda felt her heart leap.

The Goron moved closer, walking at a slow, steady pace with a bit of a limp. The sentries shouted back that it was Dar, and he had the Hero with him. A tremendous cheer went up from the gathered rock-people, and the Patriarch's bellow was almost painfully loud behind her.

Zelda could barely keep herself still, excitement swirling within her as she waited impatiently for Dar to come closer. But, when he was only a dozen yards away, she felt her heart sink. Link was motionless in the Goron's arms, limbs contorted painfully with his hands clenched like claws around his weapons.

She broke away from the group and ran over to meet Dar, the rest of them following close behind. Zelda gasped in horror as she saw that Link had been badly burned on his back and legs. He was alive, but his breathing was ragged and pain wracked his face, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"We were trapped," Dar said, his deep voice hoarse. "A great plume spouted up behind us, and I tried to shield him, but…" he trailed off sadly, looking helplessly at the battered Hero in his arms. "I… I do not know if he will live," he said quietly.

Zelda blinked away new tears, deep emotion wrenching within her at the thought of the pain Link must be in, all for her and her brother, all because of the Sorcerer and whatever plans had driven him.

"Come," said Majacen. "Bring him inside, and I will do what I can for him. The healing arts are known to me, though I do not know if I will be able to take away all of his injuries."

"I… I know some healing spells also," Zelda said. "I'll help you as best I can."

The rest of the Gorons watched somberly as Zelda and the others followed Dar, who carefully carried Link inside the nearest surviving building.

--

* * *

--

Majacen and Zelda spent the next several days healing Link, who drifted in and out of consciousness, sleeping fitfully.

The two were able to heal the worst of the burns, though Majacen grimly reported that Link would bear the scars for the rest of his life. Fortunately, he was able to make most of them faint, and almost all could be easily concealed under clothing.

As Link rested, Zelda talked with Majacen, deciding what to do.

They sat in the Hero's room, the princess at the head of the bed next to Link, and Majacen in the other chair next to the door. A small round window let the bright spring sunshine in, a cloudless blue sky visible above.

"We will be able to move Link soon," Majacen said, taking a sip of his tea. "He should wake up any time now."

"I've received the reply from the Prime Minister," Zelda said, holding up a piece of paper. "He says he's made an announcement letting everyone know Gareth and I are alive, and that he's begun organizing my coronation. We can return to Castle Town whenever we're ready."

"I will help you for a little while," Majacen said, "but I cannot stay long. I must be off again before summer begins."

Zelda was about to reply, but Link stirred beside her, shifting in the bed. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and the deep pools of blue sought out her face, lighting up as he recognized her.

"You're safe," he murmured. "That's good."

Zelda smiled, reaching out to brush some of his hair off his forehead. "Thanks to you," she said softly. "You saved us."

Link raised one arm, indicating the clean white bandages encircling his forearm. "Some Hero," he said, a tinge of amusement in his voice. "I had to be saved myself."

Almost as if summoned by his words, Dar poked his huge head into the room even as Link finished speaking. When he saw the young warrior moving around, he nearly slammed the door open in his excitement.

"You're awake, Little Brother!" he boomed, grinning happily. "We have all been very worried about you."

Link smiled tiredly. "I'll live."

Majacen chuckled merrily as he got to his feet. "Yes, young Hero," he said, "you will. You and I have many things to discuss, so you had best get your strength back quickly. There is much to be done."

"Yes, there is," Zelda agreed. "But let's let him have his rest."

She gestured for the others to leave, and was about to go herself when Link spoke again.

"I really did it, didn't I?"

Zelda smiled back at him. "Yes, you did. My brother and I owe you our lives many times over, as do many others. But for now, sleep."

Link was nodding off even as she left, falling into a well-deserved rest.

--

* * *

Author's Note: The last two parts of this story are finished, so I'll be posting them within the next few days. Thanks for reading, everybody!

Also, for those of you who are interested, the sequel to '_The Fourth Piece_' is about to launch: the first chapter of '_The Secret War_' will be posted 06/25/09. I hope you enjoy it!


	9. Tales Pass Into Legend

Nine

Link shifted nervously. Beside him, the wizard Majacen smiled reassuringly.

"Relax," he said. "This is a great honor, one you well deserve."

The two of them stood in the first courtyard of Hyrule Castle, immediately beyond the huge double doors that led into the city. The courtyard was packed with people, for this was the day of Zelda's coronation. Two weeks had passed since the battle and the eruption of Death Mountain, and Link had spent most of that fortnight in a bed of some kind, recovering from his injuries. Thanks to the efforts of Majacen and Zelda, he was mostly healed now, though very lucky to be alive, he knew.

Murmurs and whispers surrounded the two men, the throng idly chatting while waiting for the crowning ceremony to start. He could hear them whispering about the Hero they had been told about, how they were eager to see him finally, and Link fidgeted again.

Being famous was going to be difficult, he knew. Luckily, Majacen had a remedy for that, though Zelda wasn't going to like it.

Link pushed a finger into his collar and attempted to stretch it out a little. The servant who had provided the shirt he wore under his sleeveless green tunic had starched it or something, and it dug into his neck uncomfortably. He was dressed in his Hero's outfit, which had been cleaned and repaired by the castle servants, until no trace of the damage it had suffered in the battle with the Sorcerer was noticeable. His weapons and chain-mail had been polished until they shone, and he'd noted with surprise that someone had even oiled the leather of his quiver, which he wore on his back under his shield.

He had even gotten a haircut. That had been an odd experience; he'd never had a proper haircut before, since growing up on the streets, he'd usually just hacked it off himself when it got too long. To actually have someone who cut hair as an occupation work on him was a bit surreal, combined with all the other fittings and other assorted grooming he'd had. Link was totally unused to being fussed over, and he found that he did not like it. How did Zelda and Gareth ever put up with this all the time?

Next to him, Majacen was dressed in his usual brown robe and gray cloak, his sword's hilt polished and gleaming in the sunlight at his side, but he had also repaired his outfit from the damage it had taken in the battle with the ghouls and the subsequent eruption, which, it turned out, had finished the last of them off, leaving Majacen free to seek shelter from the mountain's fury without pursuit.

The wizard had somehow removed the singe from his beard, restoring what had burned, and had braided a few small gold beads into it for the occasion. He was not taking part in any of the ceremonies, at his own request; he had said he wished to keep a low profile at this time.

Link watched from the back of the crowd as a hush fell over the gathered people. Since he was taller than most, he easily saw over their heads that Zelda had emerged from the castle, her brother Gareth and a few other dignitaries a few steps behind.

Her long golden hair had been elaborately arranged and braided, and she wore a richly embroidered gown of deep sapphire blue, reflecting her alignment with the Goddess Nayru. Triforce patterns and other symbols were worked on the skirts in slightly lighter blue thread. Even from this far away, she looked very beautiful, and Link smiled as he heard a number of whispers in the crowd in front of him to this effect.

A tall man with graying brown hair, dressed in richly made robes of red and purple, came out and held up the crown. It was made of finely wrought gold, with silver intertwined through the graceful curves of the band in flowing patterns. At the front was a golden Triforce symbol, and directly opposite it was a large, circular red ruby. On either side were mounted an emerald and a sapphire, encircled by delicate leaves of gold and silver. The crown was one of the treasures of Zelda's family, impressive even from this distance.

Zelda bowed her head, and the man, whom Link knew was the Prime Minister, beamed as he set the crown gently atop her head.

In a loud voice, he proclaimed with great formality, "I present to you Her Royal Majesty, Queen Zelda Nohansen Hyrule II! Blessed be her realm!"

"_Blessed be Hyrule!"_ the crowd shouted back, before breaking into cheers and applause. Link joined in, grinning widely. He could see Gareth's smile even from this far away as the younger royal applauded, sharing a brief happy look with his sister.

After a few minutes, the applause died down, and Zelda stepped forward slightly to address her people.

"I thank you for your support," she began. "Though our kingdom will grieve long over the tragedy of my family's deaths, I promise you, I will do my very best to rule the Golden Land as fair and justly as my father and his father before him."

She paused, and the crowd applauded again. As Link listened, Zelda went on for a few more minutes about her plans, what she intended to do now that she sat upon the throne of the Chosen Land of the Gods. She meant to find a peace with Holodrum, their neighbor to the east, and also seek out new trade routes to the west, to the cities along the coast that received shipments from Calatia across the sea.

Finally, Zelda gestured to the guards who stood at the foot of the stairs below her, and the Hyrule Soldiers in the crowd before the gate split, gently prodding the people off the main avenue leading up to the doors of the central keep. The people looked back curiously, and spontaneous applause broke out as they spotted the tall figure clad in green, holding a long purple-blue staff in one hand.

Link squared his shoulders and tried to move in as dignified as fashion as he could down the white stone path, resisting the urge to break out in a silly grin from the pride he felt in the adoring looks he was receiving from the crowd.

When he reached the white stone stairs in front of the central keep of the castle, he stopped on the lowest step, looking up at Zelda, Gareth, and the other nobles standing above him. Gareth grinned at him from next to his sister, waving subtly with one hand. In the other the boy held a jeweled sword in a richly worked scabbard, the sun reflecting off of the silver and gold inlays.

"This is the man who saved my life and that of my brother," Queen Zelda announced. "He journeyed through many perils in search of a way to stop the one who hunted us, and he bravely fought the evil Sorcerer atop the Gorons' mountain. Though he nearly perished, he threw down that monstrous servant of darkness and made the land safe once again.

"He is a Hero, and rightfully does that title belong to him, for he bears the Triforce of Courage, and he is a warrior in the Goddesses' service." Zelda paused for a moment, smiling down at Link.

"Let all praise Link, the Hero of Lightning!"

The crowd erupted with cheers, and, as arranged beforehand, Link turned to face the crowd and lifted the Staff of Lightning above his head. He let a few bolts arc down its length, enough to be seen but not enough to do more. The people cheered all the louder at this, applauding enthusiastically for several minutes, until Zelda finally held up her hands for silence and they quieted.

"Approach, Hero," she said.

Link turned and ascended the stairs until he was only a few steps below the Queen, then knelt, one hand on his knee and the other holding the Staff of Lightning upright at his side.

Link heard a clear metallic ringing as Zelda drew the sword her brother held, though he kept his eyes on the stair in front of him.

"You showed great courage on your quest, Hero," Queen Zelda continued, "and boldly faced down what would have made a lesser man turn back in fear. Prince Gareth and I owe you our lives, and there can never be an adequate repayment of this debt.

"However, I will give you what is in my power to grant. Like the wolf of legend, you bravely defended us from foes with power greater than your own, and prevailed.

"Therefore, I give to you a lordship in that wolf's name, Fenris, and proclaim that your family is a noble one, to be granted whichever lands you choose as your dominion."

Zelda touched the blade of the sword to his shoulder as the crowd cheered again, and when they finally quieted down, she sheathed the blade and handed it back to Gareth.

"Arise, Lord Fenris," she said, smiling at him.

Link smiled back as he stood, and the crowd erupted with cheers and applause once more. He breathed deeply, looking up at the fluffy, lacy white clouds overhead, framing the radiant orb of the sun, and felt a great sense of pride and happiness swell within his heart.

He could never have imagined himself at this point only a few months ago, and still, he could hardly believe all he had seen and done.

Today was a good day. As for tomorrow, well, each day would have to be taken one at a time from now on. The Sorcerer might be dead, but his quest as Hero wasn't quite over yet.

--

* * *

--

Much later, during the waning hours of the coronation's celebratory banquet, Link and Majacen sat in a pair of chairs they'd brought to one of the castle's balconies that looked out over the city, sipping a cup of the tea Majacen seemed to always have on hand, one tasting faintly of lemon and somehow always the perfect temperature.

"So," Link said, looking out over Castle Town, lit in silver moonlight. "When do you want to leave?"

Majacen took another sip of his tea. "As I said before," he said, "I think you are well enough to travel now, though we will keep an easy pace until your full strength returns. This task is essential, but not urgent."

Link sighed. "Zelda isn't going to like this," he said. "I think she wants me to stay here."

Majacen frowned behind his beard, an expression that somehow conveyed resignation, a bit of sadness, yet resolution at the same time. "You and I must complete this now," he said. "I do not know when I will be able to work for a long period of time with another Bearer of Courage in the future, since foresight is not one of the gifts given to me."

He looked over at Link, his dark green eyes set with an expression Link could not interpret. "You have no permanent attachments at this time, and you are still young. This journey may take many years, but you are suited to it. You will still have time for a life of your own after we are done; I will make sure of it."

The Hero nodded, idly running a fingernail over the inscribed patterns in the Staff of Lightning leaning against the arm of his chair. "I know," he said. "You explained it to me while I was recovering. We have to hide some of my equipment for future Heroes, so they can use it in their own quests without having to go into the temples to find it. Though why you want to go to the Far South, I don't know. Who's going to leave Hyrule to go looking for weapons?"

"I do not know, either," Majacen admitted. "Nayru's daughter was most close-mouthed when she relayed my instructions; I think her mother has some purpose for this, but it is not for us to know at this time." He took another sip of tea. "She did tell me, however," he went on, "that I would live to see its fulfillment, if I am careful."

Link chuckled. "_I_ probably won't, considering that with your lifespan, that could be two or three hundred years from now."

Majacen did not reply, smiling enigmatically behind his teacup.

"There you are, Little Brother!" Dar's voice boomed behind them.

Link turned to see his enormous Goron friend standing in the entrance to the balcony, one hand behind his back and a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"What've you got?" Link asked, an amused smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth.

Dar grinned all the wider. "I've been busy since you defeated the Sorcerer, Little Brother. I got one of our best smiths to help me, but I did most of the work myself."

Interested, Link got up from his chair and moved over to stand in front of his friend.

"Close your eyes, Little Brother," said Dar, carefully hiding whatever it was behind his back. Considering the size of his Goron friend, Link thought amusedly, his present could be almost anything.

Shaking his head amusedly, Link closed his eyes and held out his hands. He heard Majacen chuckle behind him, then Dar's huge feet shuffled on the stone floor a little before something long, heavy, and metal was set on his upraised palms.

"Okay, you can look," Dar said, restrained excitement in his deep voice.

Link opened his eyes to see the most beautiful weapon he had ever seen.

In his hands sat a greatsword, a heavy weapon meant for use by tall, strong warriors, about five-and-a-half feet long from point to pommel. The cross-guard, thick and angular in design like the rest of the weapon, was almost a foot wide, one solid piece of high-quality steel. Intricately engraved lightning patterns crawled over the cross-guard, snaking around a Goron symbol in the center on either side.

Both pommel and cross-guard were a bluish-purple color, close to the color of the Staff of Lightning, and masterfully engraved with lightning patterns. The hilt was wrapped with black wire, and thick, made for large hands like those of Gorons and Link himself. Similar care had gone into the scabbard, which was made of a black metal capped at top and bottom with purple-blue steel, and the same material had been used to make all the mountings for the belt, which could be used either as a baldric and worn on the back, or altered slightly to be worn at the hip.

Enthralled with the exquisitely crafted weapon, Link drew the greatsword and looked at the blade. At the hilt, it was almost four inches wide, but it gradually tapered to an inch and a half before the point. The blade was made of the finest steel Link had ever seen, with a Triforce symbol engraved an inch above the hilt, and more lightning patterns snaking their way down the blade. It looked like it had taken a year to make this instead of only a few weeks.

The balance was incredible; despite its size and weight, Link could tell immediately that he could easily wield this sword with one hand. It was lighter out of the scabbard, too; he would be surprised if this weighed over seven pounds.

"Dar, this is…" Link trailed off, too surprised and too pleased to say more.

The Goron beamed, clapping his huge hands together with a thunderous crack. "I'm glad you like it, Little Brother," he said happily. "I've been working on this since we came back from the Temple of Lightning." He frowned slightly. "I had hoped to get it done in time for you to use it against the Sorcerer, but he attacked before I was finished."

Link looked up from the weapon at his friend. "Dar, this is the best gift I have ever received," he said honestly. "I will treasure this for the rest of my life."

Dar let out a booming laugh. "You're supposed to _use_ it, Little Brother, not just look at it." He gestured to the sword. "I made it a little smaller than the swords we Gorons make for ourselves, but I figured you were tall enough to use it." He chuckled again. "Now you just need to get stronger!"

Link rolled his wrist experimentally, twirling the long weapon through a careful pattern. He looked forward to using this, and was sorry that it hadn't been ready in time to use in his duel with the Sorcerer; he was sure that he would have won faster with the longer reach this sword provided.

Grinning, Link sheathed the weapon and held it up with one hand. "Thank you, Dar," he said.

His friend nodded, suddenly solemn. "No, thank _you_, Little Brother," he said. "You are the one who deserves the praise for destroying that terrible man."

Link reached up to pat the Goron's shoulder. "I would never have made it off that mountain without you," he said, then gestured back at the Staff of Lightning behind him. "And I wouldn't have _that_ without you, either. I can never repay you for everything you've done for me, Dar."

With a serious expression, Link met Dar's eyes. "We're more than friends now," he said. "We _are_ brothers."

Dar nodded slowly, silently expressing the same sentiment in return. "If you ever need anything else, Brother," he said. "You only need to ask."

"Link is lucky to have you as an ally, Dar," said Majacen, stepping over to stand next to them. "I think you are just as much a hero as he."

Dar grinned. "Thank you, Majacen," he said.

Majacen clapped his hands together once. "That is enough talk for tonight," he said, smiling. "You two should go and enjoy what remains of the festivities; we leave by the end of the week."

Dar looked over at Link as the wizard gently waved them off. "Where are we going, Little Brother?" he asked curiously.

Link opened his mouth to answer, intending to tell Dar that he couldn't come along with him and Majacen, but then he thought better of it. One, he would be of great help on the journey, and two, Link would practically have to drop an avalanche on his friend to keep him from following.

Instead, he said, as they walked off back to the banquet hall, "Do you have any pressing duties in your village? Because we may be gone for quite a while…"

--

* * *

--

Link and Majacen spent several more days at the castle, and the Hero had to sit through several official banquets, where he was barraged with questions from the nobles and other guests about his quest.

A few, predictably, treated him with a marked difference, descending into condescension upon learning he was 'just a commoner', until the Queen, overhearing a particularly snide remark, sternly reminded the man, a baron, that Link was of higher social standing than he now, since he was a lord, and the Hero besides.

Link contented himself with making a point of twirling his knife skillfully through his fingers, then 'accidentally' letting it slip from his hand to spin through the air and pin the man's cuff to the table.

He very quickly tired of palace politics and intrigue, and actually found himself looking forward to leaving. He belonged out in the field, he knew, not in the palace with Zelda. He found her companionship pleasant, and wouldn't mind at all if he only had to deal with her. But, the other palace residents made his time at the castle at best mildly annoying to the Hero, who was unused to the life of the rich and powerful.

He told Zelda he was leaving one afternoon, as they were sitting out in the castle gardens on a break from her duties.

As he was thinking on the right way to phrase his news, the Queen sat with him on a bench under a large shade tree, chatting pleasantly about her plans for the next few months.

"So, Lord Fenris," she said with just the slightest teasing gleam in her eye, "do you have any plans for your future? I understand a few of the labor guilds have volunteered to build your estate anywhere you like once you claim your lands."

Link hesitated. "About that…" He looked over at Zelda, pausing again as he gave further thought to what he would say. "I'm not cut out to be a lord," he said finally. "This life is just not for me. I can tell that after only a week."

Zelda nodded acceptingly. "I must admit I expected you to say something similar. It must be a rather surprising change from your former life."

Link chuckled. "Yes, it is. I'm grateful to you for the title, but I have to admit I'm not going to do anything with it. I just want a simple life now. But," he said, shrugging a little, "I suppose maybe I'll do something with it someday. There's no time limit on this, is there?"

The Queen smiled. "No. I will make sure that whenever you are ready, everything goes through smoothly."

"Good," he said, leaning forward slightly. "But for now…" He paused again. "I'm leaving," he said finally. "I want to go out on a journey for a while, see a little of the world." He smiled reassuringly as he looked over at her. "I'll be back eventually, though."

Zelda was quiet for a moment, and when he glanced up at her, her expression was faintly sad. "That is your right, I suppose," she said. "I would much prefer that you stay here, but I understand." She looked up at him, and smiled pleasantly. "I hope you have a safe journey," she said. "Will you write?"

Link nodded. "Whenever I'm able. I won't be gone too long."

Zelda smiled again. "Well, just know that, whenever you do return, you will be very welcome here. Whatever you decide to do with your life, you may come here as often as you like."

Link smiled back. "I will. Thank you."

--

* * *

--

The following morning, Link sat in the saddle atop his stallion Khamsin, and he glanced over at Majacen, who was sitting in a small wooden cart drawn by his own horse, a gray gelding with a white mane.

"I don't know if I like this," he said to the wizard, not for the first time since they'd set out. Dar, walking at his side, nodded his agreement.

Majacen did not answer at first, but Link could see that the wizard was troubled, also.

They were well down the road leading from the southern gate of Castle Town, nearly to Faron Province and the expansive southern forests of Hyrule. The castle stretched up in blue-roofed white towers behind them, slowly growing smaller as they drew further down the road.

"It is best this way," Majacen said quietly, the rattle of his cart over the paving stones nearly drowning out his words.

"I still think we should have told her something about what we're doing," Link said, shifting in the saddle again. "I just know she could tell I wasn't telling her everything."

Majacen frowned over at him. "Would you trouble a young queen who survived the deaths of her family and very nearly her _own_ death, twice, with the news that her would-be assassin had a master?"

Link sighed in frustration. "Well, no, but-"

"And would you further trouble her with the knowledge that the Sorcerer's master is an evil immortal, who would like nothing more than to kill her and her brother and smash her country to ruins?"

Link sighed again, this one close to a growl. "All right, all right, I get it," he said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. It feels like lying."

Majacen frowned at his again, as if disappointed that Link still did not understand. "I do not like it, either" he said, a bit of an annoyed edge in his voice. "I have known Zelda since she was a small child, and each of her ancestors stretching back to the beginning of her dynasty. She is just as intelligent as they were, perhaps more, but I cannot burden Zelda with what you and I know. She will have enough problems to deal with during her reign, and I will not inflict upon her the knowledge that her greatest enemy still lives and plots her downfall."

Link glanced over at Dar, who walked silently beside him. The Goron looked up and nodded solemnly, indicating his agreement with the wizard.

"Well, shouldn't I stay here, then?" Link said, not willing to let it go. "What if the Dark God sends another assassin?"

Majacen shook his head. "He will not, at least not within your lifetime. If he sends another servant to do his evil will so soon after the first, it could be seen as a breaking of his oath, and even he will not risk the wrath of his mother and aunts at this time."

The wizard looked up at the line of trees before them, rolling in gentle hills over which the forest was draped like a blanket.

"No," he said after a few moments, "Hyrule is safe for now. But not forever." He gestured up at the greatsword that hung from the back of Link's saddle where he could get at it easily. "Though it may not be in your hand, that blade will see blood in this land someday. Of that, I am sure."

Link pondered this uneasily as they headed into the trees, bound for the uncharted wilds of the Far South.

--

* * *

--

For years afterwards, tales spread through the Far South of the Three Wanderers, the old wizard, the young warrior, and the rock-giant, adventurers who braved the darkest jungles, sought out long-forgotten temples, and uncovered their secrets, battling nightmarish creatures no one living had ever seen.

Reports trickled back to Hyrule during these years of a mysterious man who wielded a staff of great power, riddled with exaggeration and hearsay, and it was nearly impossible to sort the truth from the rumor.

Those who would serve the forces of evil soon grew to fear the whispers of the Three Wanderers. Many a predator, both man and monster, met their end at the hands of a young man who struck with lightning, rooting out evil wherever he found it. Those in need of help found it coming to them in unexpected ways during the Hero's journeys.

Stories flourished in the southern part of Hyrule's continent, some true, some entirely fiction, and some a mix of both. It was rumored that, among many other deeds, the Three Wanderers toppled a warlord's regime, throwing down a power-hungry man who had designs on his northern neighbors, but it was argued in the same circles that an assassin had done him in instead, one sent by one of his numerous enemies.

Whatever the truth may have been, the Three Wanderers became a permanent fixture in the local folklore, stories about them circulating for centuries afterward.

The Hero of Lightning passed into legend, both in his own country and lands far away.

--

* * *

Author's Note: An epilogue follows. Thanks for reading!


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

After a journey of several years, Link Fenris and Dar the Goron returned to Hyrule. Their companion Majacen went on to other deeds in the course of his long life, which were recorded in other tales.

Link stayed in the southern provinces of Hyrule for the rest of his life. He didn't intend to, but upon his return, he met a woman and fell in love. He stayed there with his family to the end of his days, raising three sons and two daughters. The Fenris family's life was peaceful, and until the day he left the mortal realm, Link never had to raise a sword against another being again.

Dar eventually became the Patriarch of his tribe, and like his friend and sworn brother, he had a family. Some of the more famous Gorons were of his line, and many followed in his footsteps, serving as great allies to a few of the Heroes and becoming heroes in their own right.

Queen Zelda's reign was long and peaceful, and no further crisis assailed her country as long as she lived. She married a prince from a neighboring country, and they had many children, ensuring that her family would survive for many years to come. Gareth also had many children when he grew up, and he served as his sister's Prime Minster for much of her reign.

Both of them thought often of their protector, and while he did visit them from time to time and often sent letters, their very different lives eventually drifted apart. They were, however, most pleased to receive a visitor one day, more than thirty years after the Hero of Lightning saved their lives…

--

* * *

--

"Show him in, please," Queen Zelda said to the herald.

She looked over at her brother from her throne, smiling at him. Gareth smiled back, for a moment a little boy again. Upon hearing the visitor's name, both had been eager to meet him.

The doors at the end of the richly appointed throne room opened slowly, and into the room strode what seemed like a memory. Zelda felt her breath catch in her throat, and she felt like she was thirty years in the past for a moment.

Endrew Fenris was nearly the spitting image of his father; though he was shorter and his build was a little more thick, his parentage was instantly recognizable. He was in his mid-twenties, with his father's same intense blue eyes and blond hair, though he wore it much shorter and much more orderly than his father had.

He dropped to one knee before the throne, head bowed respectfully, and waited for her to speak.

"You may rise," Zelda said, leaning forward slightly on her throne. "What brings you before me today, young Endrew?"

"Your Majesty," he began, "my father, Link Fenris, was known to you, and today I ask if I might beg a favor from you in his memory."

Zelda sighed quietly; she'd half expected this as the reason for Endrew's visit; they'd had no word from Link in several years, so she sensed Link's eldest son had come to tell her of his father's fate.

"He is dead, then?" she asked sadly.

Endrew nodded slowly. "I believe so."

Gareth cocked an eyebrow. "You believe?"

Endrew met his eyes somewhat uncertainly. "He left no body behind, Your Grace," he said in reply. "It is almost as if the gods plucked him from the mortal world; he left our house one day, leaving everything he owned behind, and did not return."

He shifted nervously, glancing up at Zelda. "My mother died about a year ago, Your Majesty, and he was never the same afterwards, I'm afraid."

Endrew shifted again, clearly uncomfortable in the presence of royalty he had never before met, but still confident. He had his father's spirit, Zelda could see, and though his path might not lie along the way of the warrior, he was nonetheless destined for great things himself.

"He told me that you granted him a lordship," Endrew said, more a question than anything else.

"I did," Zelda said, nodding once.

"Then," he said with more confidence, "may I assume that lordship was an inheritance, also?"

Gareth nodded. "That is correct. If your father has passed away, then you are now the Lord Fenris, Endrew."

Endrew straightened. "Since my father claimed no lands under the terms of the lordship you gave him, I would like to claim my family's hereditary lands in his place."

Queen Zelda gestured to him with her scepter. "You may do so, Lord Fenris."

Obviously feeling a little bolder now, Endrew reached inside his doublet and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"I would like to claim this area of the Snowpeak Mountains," he said, handing the paper to a page, who then handed it to Gareth.

"During an exploration of caverns in the area," Endrew continued, "I found an excellent strain of silver ore. Further explorations have led me to the conclusion that the area of the mountains shown on that map is rich in precious minerals and other useful elements, including iron and carbon."

Link's son got an excited look in his eye, one that reminded Zelda very much of his father.

"Your Majesty, if I may, I would like to ask for a group of laborers to help me construct a road to the area. I would also ask your assistance in negotiating with the Zoras, as part of the road would have to run through their territory.

"I am confident that a network of mines in this area would yield significant riches, so I am willing to offer the crown a percentage of my profits until I repay whatever loan you see fit to grant me."

Zelda smiled down at Endrew. "Your endeavor has my blessing, Lord Fenris," she said. "I thank you for telling me of your father, and I am happy to assist you in anyway I can. Gareth," she said, turning to her brother, "please see to anything Lord Fenris requires."

Gareth nodded, making a note and passing it to another page, who hurried off to another part of the castle.

At Endrew's surprised, pleased look, Zelda smiled again. "Consider it a gift in payment for the great debt we owe your father," she said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Endrew exclaimed.

Zelda was pleased that she'd been able to make him happy; she sensed that he had come here not expecting to receive anything beyond confirmation of his lordship, but she could tell Endrew was the sort of man who would have been able to accomplish all that he had said without any help; he had more than enough of his father in him for that.

The Queen stood from her throne and descended the steps, until she stood level with Endrew. While not as tall as his father, he was still several inches taller than her, further reminding her of Link.

"If you will indulge me," Zelda said, "I invite you to join me for lunch today. I would like to hear more about your father, if you are willing."

Endrew bowed his head respectfully. "Certainly, Your Majesty."

Zelda smiled again. "And, if you haven't heard them all already, I have a few stories about your father to share with you in return."

Endrew smiled back. "I'd like that, Your Majesty," he said.

_The End_

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--

* * *

_

Final Author's Note and Acknowledgments: Well, that's the end of this little tale. I hope you enjoyed it, since I had a lot of fun writing it. As I've said in several previous notes and in other places, this story is connected to my other 'Legend of Zelda' stories, which I recommend if you liked this one. I advise reading '_Hero's Origin' _next for more on Link's descendants, the Fenris family, and then my larger story, '_The Fourth Piece'_, if you haven't read them already.

My next 'Legend of Zelda' story is, as I mentioned, the sequel to '_The Fourth Piece'_, entitled '_The Secret War'_, coming 06/25/09. I hope you enjoy it, as well. For those of you who are curious, more details of the Three Wanderers' journey will be revealed in that story as it goes along. History plays an important role in '_The Secret War_', and parts of this story are important to the plot. Ah, twistiness. ;)

Now for the acknowledgments: First, thanks goes to Seldavia, who beta read for me and offered many helpful suggestions over the course of this story and many of my others. I highly recommend her own stories, many of which can be found on my Favorites list.

Silverwolf05 gets major thanks for all the awesome art she's done for my stories. I really recommend you go check out her DeviantArt profile, and also her own story here on FFnet, '_The Immortal's Heart'_, which you can also find in my Favorites list.

Thanks also goes to all the regular readers and reviewers, as well as anyone else who read this story and enjoyed it. Anybody who didn't enjoy it: go ahead and tell me why. I'm always looking for new ways to improve my writing style.

Cheers,

Davin Sunrider


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